Spoiled Brats
by DarkFyre99
Summary: When faced with the ultimate love triangle from hell, how can Ranma stop three spoiled brats from destroying the world... again? A Ranma 1/2, PGSM Crossover.
1. Chapter 1

Spoiled Brats

Author's note: This is my first attempt at National Novel Writing Month. I've always been tempted to try it, since first hearing about the event, but given my usual pace of writing (glacial) I figured why bother. Anyhow, I had an interesting idea for a story two days ago, so I figured, why not? Let's see the results when I don't masticate each paragraph to death. It should be interesting.

Chapter One: Awakening

The air over Jusendo was saturated with energy. Two combatants defied the laws of physics in the heated mountain air. The first was a young martial artist named Saotome Ranma, whose sole goal was to reach the fountain of life giving water below, to save the life of his fiancée, Tendo Akane. The second was Saffron, a winged being that wielded fire based powers, who had threatened the stability of the entire region of China in order to "ascend," and had abducted Akane, nearly killed the girl so that one of his followers could take her form, and even now opposed Ranma's attempts out of sheer spite.

The boy used the ice based powers of the Gekkaja to shield himself from yet another fiery blast from Saffron, who didn't even need the Gekkaja's counterpart, the Kinjakan, to project the fire blasts the man sent at him. Held aloft by column of air he had created with the Gekkaja's power, Ranma felt an unfamiliar emotion growing within him. Not anger, for he was furious at Saffron for dragging Akane into this, and at the man's unilateral decision to divert the source of the cursed springs of Jusenkyo, which had started the chain of events that had lead Akane and him to this place.

Instead, disgust filled the boy. He felt disgust at the selfishness of a being that held such power. Disgust at his friends, whose selfishness, he realized, had also endangered innocents frequently. And disgust at himself, whose own selfishness had lead him to maintain the status quo for far too long.

In fact, it was his selfish desire defeat Saffron, rather than kill him, that tied his hands and lead to the destruction they had waged all around them. To not stain his hands with the blood of a sapient being, despite the man's reckless use of his powers. If he let the battle continue, who knew how much suffering they would inflict upon the region.

Below, Saffron had noted the change in the insolent insect's demeanor. It had changed from desperation to an almost icy anger, all directed at him. The fireball he had sent at the boy had been deflected almost contemptuously. The second fireball, backed with the power the Kinjakan, was deflected almost as easily. When the boy struck back, it was with a degree of power he had never before displayed. An icy crescent of energy emerged from the Gekkaja, which pierced the flames that held Saffron aloft with alarming ease. Saffron's last though, before the boy's attack bisected him, freezing each half in the process, was _'That's impossible.'_

- + - + -

Ryouga, Shampoo, and Mousse were silent as Ranma landed atop the carved dragon's head, one of a pair of giant spouts that had made up Saffron's chamber of ascension. The boy's entire demeanor had changed, to such a degree that he was almost unrecognizable. They watched as Ranma turned on the cold water, and immersed the desiccated body of Akane, restoring her to life. The girl tried to say something as he wrapped his shirt around her renewed body, but the look on her fiancé's face stole every word. Without a word, he stretched his hand towards the Gekkaja, which turned in the giant faucet and came flying into his hand. Seconds later, the Kinjakan joined its mate.

As Ranma led a confused Akane away, he turned to look at the equally confused Amazons, and the stunned lost boy. "Shampoo, tell your great grandmother to get everything you have on Jusenkyo, and bring it to the Guide's house by tomorrow."

Growing angry at Ranma's imperious attitude towards his beloved Shampoo, Mousse angrily demanded, "Why on earth should Cologne do that?"

With a confident smile that turned Mousse's guts to ice, and drove Shampoo to tears, Ranma replied, "Because if she doesn't, I'll shatter your murderous little anachronistic village like an egg."

Akane, horrified at Ranma's changed attitude, stared over her shoulder at Kiima, who had fallen to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "Saffron! No!"

- + - + -

Ten Years Later…

Saotome Ranma lay back on the roof of the Hilton, ignoring the glorious display of downtown Tokyo below, and gazed up at the nearly full moon above. '_That's the problem with big cities,' _she mused to herself,_ 'you really can't get a good look at the stars. But then, the moon has its own charm, and she presents a fresh face each night.'_

She closed her eyes, once again trying to get a sense of the strange feeling she'd been having for the last week. She tuned out the sounds of late night traffic below, the music that could be heard from the party below, and allowed the cool November wind to carry her thoughts towards the call she was feeling. _'What is it? Who are you? What are you? Where are you?'_

Ranma's eyes snapped open at the sound of the stairwell door below her. She sat up and watched as the slight figure idly walked across the tennis court below, her arms hugging her torso, to lean against the fence and stare at the scene below. Ranma recognized the girl as the guest of honor at the party below, the latest manufactured idol singer whose first record had just come out today. Ranma had been to several of these coming out parties, and couldn't help but feel sympathy for the girls who really didn't realize what they were about to get themselves into. Smiling, she stood before asking, "Nervous about tomorrow?"

Startled, the girl whirled around. "Ah… Takeda-san. Komban wa."

Ranma dropped down from the roof of the stairwell, her legs barely flexing to absorb the three-meter drop. She had to smile at the girl's wide eyes, and her whispered, "Sugoi."

Smile still firmly in place, she walked gracefully across the tennis court to join the girl at the fence. "Oh, please. That was just the legacy of a misapplied youth. And call me Megumi."

"Hai, Megumi-san."

"Well, are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Nervous."

"Just a little."

"Would you like a little advice?"

The girl looked at Ranma worshipfully, "Hai."

"The first is don't take the record executive's claims that you have a 'duty to your fans' too seriously. If you look at your career as a duty, rather than something that you can find contentment with, then you'll have failed anyways. Genuine fans don't just follow the fads, they find meaning in your music. They listen not because it's 'in,' but because it cheers them up when they're down, it inspires them when they're uncertain, or because they find empathy in it when they need it. And you'll be able to find the same in them. It's a like a relationship, really, just a rather unusual one. They can tell when you're just going through the motions."

The girl nodded seriously.

"The second is don't focus on the whole audience. Just find one person in it, and sing to them. I find it helps."

"Hai."

"And third... what's your favorite Fukami Rika song?"

"Who?"

"She was an idol when I was your age. Just about everyone had a favorite song that they absolutely loved, saved their allowance to go to her concerts, and collected her CDs and memorabilia."

"What happened to her?"

"Her fans grew up and became adults, had adult concerns, and needed their money for adult things. She had grown up as well, and was out of sync with the young teens of the time, and so the record companies went out and found the next big idol. Nobody told her that the typical idol has a shelf life of six years, and that the record companies are very aware of this."

Ranma placed a sympathetic arm around the girl's shoulders. "Don't worry too much about it. I checked, and your manager is one of the good ones, even if he's a little odd. If you ask, he can help you build a career that'll last as long as you want. Or you can just enjoy the ride. After all, they have a lot of experience at making it a good one. Just make sure you save your money for after the ride ends."

The two turned when the stairwell door opened up. An extravagantly dressed man poked his head through the door, looking through the roof. His eyes widened when he caught sight of the pair on the roof. "Ah, there she is! I got a little worried when you disappeared!" Waving a fan he'd pulled out from somewhere, fanned himself off. "These parties can get to much sometimes, can't they?"

Smiling, he hurried up to the two women standing on the roof. "And Megumi-san! How good of you to look after her!" With good humor, Ranma allowed the man to plant an air kiss on each cheek. "You look as magnificent as usual, my dear. When will we get a chance to listen to your new album?"

"Music is like fine wine. Allowing it to age just makes it all the sweeter. Seeing that you're in good hands, Minako-chan, I'll return to the party." She gave the girl a quick hug, and then a kiss on the cheek. Smiling at the girl's reaction, said, "I'll see you there soon."

Wide-eyed, thirteen year old Aino Minako placed a hand to her cheek. "Hai. Thank you, Megumi-san!"

Saotome Ranma, known to the world as Takeda Megumi, singer, actress, and model, kept her smile in place until she stepped into the stairwell. _'Something's coming. I can feel it. But what is it? Could it be that_ _the _others_ are awakening too?'_

Ranma paused on the landing, frowning at the thought. _'Kami-sama, I hope not. The last thing this world needs is for those three selfish brats to destroy it again.'_

Author's note: In case you couldn't tell, I just finished a Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon fansub marathon (thank you TV-Nihon!). I really enjoyed it, though the early fight scenes were somewhat painful to watch. They thankfully get a lot better later on.


	2. Chapter 2

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I own neither Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, nor Ranma ½. If I did, I would've given the young actresses that played the Sailor Senshi at least some basic martial arts lessons.

Chapter Two: Making Friends and Influencing people

Ranma ran through the deserted warehouse, looking over her shoulder at the strange monster pursuing her. She could've easily outrun it, of course, but she needed it to be in just the right place in order to retaliate properly.

It was even slower than she thought, so she slowed her pace slightly. Finally, the time came. With a single leap she jumped towards one of the support pillars in the building, briefly alighted on the support pillar, then leapt again as the monster ran head first into the concrete post. Adding a midair twist just because she could, she unleashed a devastating energy blast at the monstrosity below. A second twist allowed her land facing the wounded beast. With a smile, she squared off against the creature, finally in a location where she could let loose without endangering innocent bystanders.

"Cut! Excellent work, Megumi-san, Morisha-kun."

Ranma relaxed, rolling her shoulders a bit before striding up to the unfortunate stuntman in the rubber suit. The thing looked ridiculous, but then it wouldn't be seen on film anyways. It would be replaced with a CGI monster in post production, so they skimped on the details. Numerous CGI markers also helped ruin its threatening appearance. She had seen the "real" monster, though, and she agreed that if she had seen it in a dark alley in real life, she would've been suitably frightened. She offered the man a hand up. "Are you okay, Akira-san? You looked like you hit that pillar at full speed."

"I'm fine, Takeda-san. I've got all this padding, after all."

The director strode up, almost excessive in his praise. "Megumi-san, that was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I must admit that I was skeptical when you said you didn't need the wires, but what you did was amazing. And that attack! Sheer poetry in motion. I could actually believe that you expected an energy blast to leap from your fingertips!"

Ranma bowed. "Thank you, director-san."

"Now, about the next part of this scene…"

- + - + -

Ranma spotted a familiar face at the studio cafeteria. Grabbing her tray, she shook her head towards one of her co-stars, declining to eat with them for a change. Smiling, she strode towards the young girl who was, to Ranma's trained eyes, overdoing things. Not uncommon, but if she kept up the pace she was trying to, she'd burn out. When she got close, she leaned over the girl's shoulder, reading the girl's math workbook. "You need to use the cosine, not the tangent, Minako-chan."

The girl absently said, "Thank you," as she erased the offending equation. Ranma had to chuckle as awareness sunk into the cute little brunette. "Ah… Megumi-sempai! Konnichi wa." The girl looked up at her, and her eyes widened as she took in Ranma's outfit.

Ranma turned around, giving the girl a good look at her Chinese style dress. "What do you think? Is it me?"

"You're doing another Mamono Hunter Yohko movie? Sugoi! You always look so pretty, and strong! You make it look like you really do fight monsters!"

Ranma fingered the elaborate loops of auburn hair that adorned her head. "Thanks. Knowing martial arts really helps make it look convincing. And you? How are you doing?" She sat down across from the girl, before she began eating.

"There's so much to do!" She started to count off on her fingers. "Today, I'm doing a commercial. I've got a TV interview tonight, and tomorrow I'm flying to Okinawa for a concert. And I have to keep up with my school work too, and dance practice, and so many other things."

Minako smiled impishly. "Maybe I can convince Manager-sensei to let me take up martial arts too, Megumi-sempai."

"Don't forget to take some time for yourself. I can tell you haven't been getting enough sleep these last two months."

Ranma watched as all the animation drained out of the girl. "Oh. Manager-sensei says that too." For a brief second, the girl looked far older than her thirteen years, before she smiled brightly. "But I'm alright. There's just so many things I have to do."

Ranma gave the girl a sympathetic smile. "I know that feeling. Just don't feel obligated to say yes to everything they ask. They always want more than they need. Now I'll let you get back to your homework."

Ranma watched as the girl once again began to tune out the world, concentrating on her schoolwork as she ate a lunch that didn't require too much attention on her part. Ranma wasn't sure why she was so protective of the girl, from the first time they'd met, but she wasn't about to deny that she did. She made a mental note to follow the girl's career a little more closely. _'She's so eager to please everyone. They always are. That's why so many idols don't last that long. Slow down a little, Minako-chan, or you'll burn out within a year or two.'_

- + - + -

From the roof of a nearby building, the girl watched the running woman below her. The woman jumped a fence, putting yet another barrier between herself and the police pursuing her. The girl ran and jumped to another roof, trying to get in front of the woman. When she finally got herself in position, she called out. "Hold it right there!"

The woman slid to a halt, staring at the figure above her, silhouetted against the full moon. "What?"

With a graceful leap, the blonde girl landed before the fleeing woman, and struck a pose. She wore a parody of a schoolgirl's uniform, complete with red bow and short skirt. She held a metal, crescent moon shaped object between her gloved thumb and forefinger, beside her face. "The beautiful Sailor Senshi in a sailor uniform, Sailor V is here."

The woman turned and ran in a new direction. Sailor V quickly threw her moon compact at the woman… and missed when her target ducked. She caught the compact as it returned to her, and once again ran in pursuit. She caught up with the woman again, and hurled her weapon again, this time with better success.

The sound of a scuffle caused her to turn around. A second woman, similarly dressed as the first, was struggling against a handsome masked man, who had her right arm pinned behind her back. The woman's knife dropped from her hand, and she was soon rendered unconscious as the man applied a pressure point.

This allowed Sailor V to get a good look at the man. Though she couldn't see the man's features clearly thanks to the golden mask he wore, it was clear that he was very attractive. Dark, Chinese style clothing embroidered with a golden dragon on his left arm and chest, concealed a lean, muscular frame. Long flowing hair, a dark cape, and a short sword at his side completed the image of a dashing hero quite nicely.

His voice was also appropriately deep. "You need to pay more attention to your surroundings, and less to making a flashy entrance, if you wish to survive long in this business, young lady."

"Hai. Arigato."

He closed the distance between them, giving her a long, slow look up and down as she blushed, and shuffled her feet self consciously. With a gentle smile, he said, "Yes… quite the beautiful Sailor Senshi." With a wink, he turned, walking briskly away from her. Before he got too far away, he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"If you want to make a career out of this, you'd better get some training. Definitely some martial arts training, and maybe some throwing practice."

Still feeling a bit self-conscious, she nodded.

Giving her legs a second long look, he asked, "Aren't you cold wearing that?" He gave her one more smile and a wink at her flustered reaction, before turning and quickly disappearing into the shadows.

She blushed for a few more seconds, before realizing something. "Hey! What's your name?"

His reply floated back on the wind. "The Dragon Knight."

- + - + -

It had taken Ranma over half a year, but she had finally tracked down the source of the odd feeling she'd had. It was a shriveled hunk of _something_, at the bottom of a deep pit, which in turn was at the back of the deepest cavern of a cave system, deep in the mountains of Hokkaido. And that _thing_ was alive. It may have been feeble, but it was alive.

'_That is not a good omen. If that is what I think it is, we really are in it deep.'_ Ranma smirked at that thought.

An outraged woman's voice called out behind her. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

With a cold smile, Ranma insolently turned around to look at the woman behind her. A generous figure was incased in a slinky black dress, which showed off a tremendous amount of cleavage. The woman's long red hair was curled, and held in an elaborate golden headdress. She was rather impressive looking. Too bad she was deep inside of a damp, dark cave. Crossing her arms below her breasts, Ranma drawled, "Beryl, I presume."

"Queen Beryl."

"Of course, your majesty," Ranma said with a mocking bow. "I suppose one must allow you your delusions."

A young man's voice cried out to Ranma's right. "You dare mock Queen Beryl-sama?"

Turning leisurely, the black haired woman looked at the young blonde man glaring angrily at her. "Oh, look, you even have a subject."

The red haired woman raised her hands, sending a stream of energy against the other woman in the chamber. Ranma raised her own hand, palm forward, erecting a barrier that redirected the energy into the stone floor. "Do you really have energy to spare for this kind of display, or would you rather talk?"

The woman held her attack for a few seconds, before lowering her hands. "You may speak," she said imperiously.

Ranma gave a second, mocking bow. "You're too kind." The black haired woman began pacing through the room, circling around both Beryl and the young man. "You know, when I first began to realize what had happened, I asked myself what I would do if my suspicions were true." She took the young man's chin in her hand, and turned his face towards hers. "I even asked myself what I should do if their subjects were also involved." She smiled when the man yanked his chin out of her hand.

"My first idea was to kill you all." She easily blocked the dagger that came at her, contemptuously removed it from its wielder's hand, and then sent the young man spinning to the ground away from her. "If it hadn't taken this long to find you, I might've done exactly that." She tapped her cheek with the tip of the blade in her hand. "But then I realized, if you all could be reborn once, then it's quite likely that you could all be reborn again, and all I would've accomplished was delay the inevitable." She leaned close to Beryl's ear, and whispered, "And next time, I might not be awake to deal with things."

She handed the dagger to Beryl. "Not to mention that you're only one part of the problem. There are two others involved as well. So the only thing that can be done is let this little drama play out once again, with me as the referee this time." She turned away from the self-proclaimed queen, and slowly walked out of the underground chamber. "Just remember, Beryl-chan, what you do to each other is of little interest to me. Just don't involve others in your little spat. Otherwise, I might feel compelled to choose sides. Bye bye." There was shimmer in the air, and then Ranma was gone.

Fifty kilometers away, Ranma collapsed in her hotel room, cradling her wounded hand. _'Kami-sama. Metaria is that weak, and yet Beryl has access to that much power? And she's technically the _weakest_ of the three?'_ Ranma allowed herself a self-mocking laugh, tears streaming down her eyes. _'Kami-sama, what was the point of waking me up, if I'm this powerless against them?'_ Ranma stared at her reddened palm. _'I wonder how long it will take for her to realize that it was all a bluff?'_

Opening up one of her suitcases, Ranma began slathering burn cream on her hand. In a day or two, she'd have recovered enough to heal up completely. _'Beryl. Endymion. Serenity. The ultimate love triangle from hell. They'll get the object of their desire, no matter what the cost to everyone else. Even if they destroy the world in the process._

'_Well, it seems Beryl has already surrendered herself to repeating the events of the past.' _Finished with her first aide, Ranma reached under her bed and pulled out a long, thin case. Inside, protected by soft foam, were the Kinjakan and the Gekkaja. _'If I can't deflect the other two from that path, maybe I should just kill them all and let the future fend for itself.'_

Ranma closed the case with a click. The summer was starting, and Takeda Megumi had a movie to finish back in Tokyo, an album to release, a tour to plan, and a new photo spread to shoot in sunny Okinawa.

Not to mention a world to save.

Ranma smiled when she thought of young Aino Minako, who was apparently doing as Ranma did, not as Ranma said. Ranma was spread this thin, and she had far more resources than the young idol possibly could. She let out a sigh as she fell back into the hotel room's bed. "Sorry, Minako-chan. I guess I'm not being a very good role model to you after all."

Ranma smiled. At least Minako didn't have to worry about ancient, world-destroying threats in her spare time.

Author's note: Woo-hoo! Two chapters in one day. But then again, it's a Saturday, so I shouldn't brag. ^_^;


	3. Chapter 3

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: Ninomiya Hinako is a lightweight. The Dark Kingdom is made up of amateurs. The ultimate energy draining threat to the Earth is… TV Tropes. Abandon all hope, all ye who surf there!

Chapter Three: Enter Sailor… Who?

Ranma entered the restaurant wearing shades, a baseball cap under which her long auburn hair hid, and rather unattractive sweats. After taking a cautious look around, Ranma slid into the booth opposite a pretty brunette housewife. On the other side of the table, Ono Kasumi smiled at her younger friend. "Ranma, you don't have to take such elaborate precautions. After all these years, none of your former fiancées or rivals are looking for you anymore. Not after what you did at Jusendo."

Pouring herself a cup of tea from the pot between them, Ranma took a sip before replying. "Believe it or not, Kasumi, these days I'm not worried about being recognized as Ranma. It's just that Megumi tends to attract a lot of attention. So, how's the husband and kids these days?"

"Toufuu just accepted a job at Juuban General, in the Minato ward. Ranma is still pressuring us to let him take martial arts, and your other namesake Megumi is really enjoying preschool. It's hard to believe that in half a year, she'll be starting elementary school. So, what about you? Is there a girl in your life yet?"

Ranma shook her head.

"Guy?"

Kasumi laughed at the glare she was getting.

"You really should find someone, Ranma. It's not good for you to be alone."

"I have my career, my art, and a few other irons on the fire as well. I don't have to time to worry about a relationship, and it certainly wouldn't be fair to any girl I'd be involved with."

"Ranma, we're getting concerned about you. You don't seem to be getting enough sleep. You really need a life mate to balance yourself out."

"I'm fine, just really busy lately. I have neither the time, nor the desire, to pursue a relationship with anyone."

"So there's no truth at all to that rumor about you and Aino Minako?"

Ranma's eyes bugged out. "Kasumi, she's half my age!" Ranma hissed at her friend.

"And Toufuu was twice mine when we married. And I never said the rumor was about you two being in a relationship."

Ranma glared once again at the impishly grinning woman.

"She's just a child."

"And children grow up. Not to mention fill out. And it wasn't that long ago that girls as young as fourteen would get married. There's nothing wrong with laying the ground work for when she's older."

"Kasumi, she's only met me as a girl. And I intend to keep it that way. I'm hardly ever a guy these days."

"Ranma…"

"Just drop it, okay? Are you guys planning on moving to Minato, or is the Doc going to commute?"

"We haven't decided…"

"Then don't move. There's been weird things going on down there these days, and I definitely don't like the feel of things. Something big is in the wind, and it looks like it'll blow up in Minato."

"And I suppose you'll be up to your neck in it, won't you." The look Kasumi gave Ranma was direct, and pierced her soul. It was clear to Ranma that Kasumi didn't like what she saw.

Ranma laughed lightly. "Hey… you know me…"

She trailed off when it became obvious that Kasumi wasn't buying her attempt at levity. An uncomfortable silence descended upon the table, as both women tried to find a safe subject to bring up.

"So…how's Akane?"

- + - + -

A few days later found Ranma in the Minato ward, on a modeling job this time. It was the final rehearsal for a fashion show, displaying the latest works of art by the jeweler Osaka Mayumi. It had been a long day so far. With all the attempted jewel heists these days, security around the store was high, which made many of the girls nervous. Ranma wasn't concerned about that. She had been feeling for days the presence of something sinister in the area, and she was on edge enough to bring the long case that held the Kinjakan and Gekkaja with her wherever she went. Thankfully, a simple suggestion kept the guards from taking too close a look at the contents.

With a practiced strut, she strode down the short runway, paused to allow the imaginary audience a good look at the expensive jewelry she'd be wearing tomorrow, and made her way to the edge of the stage, just right of center. And smiled when she realized that she had had a real audience. A pair of schoolgirls, probably Osaka-san's daughter and a friend of hers, were watching the rehearsal, completely enraptured by the sight. As she held the last pose, Ranma felt the sinister presence intensify for a brief moment.

As soon as she could safely do so, Ranma ditched the rehearsal to do some investigating upstairs. She had a sneaking suspicion that Beryl had decided to call her bluff.

- + - + -

"Hold it… oh, it's you, Knight-sama." Sailor V hopped down from the roof of the elevator shaft to the main roof below, where the Dragon Knight stood looking at the building below.

The Dragon Knight smiled at the young girl as she joined him. "Where you expecting someone else, Sailor V?"

"Hai. The jewel thief in the tuxedo." She pouted cutely. "He keeps on getting away from me."

"How's the training going?"

"Not so well. It's hard to find the time. So, what are you doing here? Staking out the place too?"

"Believe it or not, my beautiful sailor suited champion of Justice, I'm thinking of breaking into the place."

"What?"

"Can't you sense it? The presense of a youma in the area?"

The girl shut her eyes, and slowly breathed in and out. A few minutes later, she gave a delicate shudder. "That's a youma?"

"What is?"

"That presense."

"Oh, sorry… I got distracted by your breathing." The Knight chuckled as the girl turned bright red. She was so easy to tease. "Anyways, that was a youma you sensed. And I've narrowed down its location to that building. I'm tempted to break in and check things out, but there's a little too much police presence in there for my piece of mind. I don't think they'd believe me if I said, 'I'm not here to steal anything, I'm hunting youma.'"

"So now what?"

"So now I keep watch, and you home and go to bed. You look like you could use a good night's sleep."

The blonde girl shook her head. "No. I have a duty to be here, if there's a real threat here."

"Don't you have school?"

"It's Saturday."

The Dragon Knight removed his cape, wrapping it around the girl. "Then a compromise. You sleep here, and I'll wake you up if there's trouble."

The man smiled when the girl gave a sleepy, "Hai," and then snuggled up beside him. She was asleep in seconds, much to his amazement. She must've been more tired than he thought. She must've been patrolling nightly, on top of her schoolwork.

Ranma looked at the blonde head resting against his shoulder, complete with a large red bow on the back, and gave a melancholy sigh. _'Just what is it with me and jailbait recently?'_ He smiled. _'She sure is fun to tease, though.'_

- + - + -

Ranma stifled a yawn as she walked up to Mayumi Osaka Designer Jewelry, presenting her badge to the guard at the door. The man gave her a short bow as he opened the door for her, overlooking the long thin case she was carrying. The youma was still in this building somewhere, and she intended to kill the thing. After the fashion show was finished, of course. Osaka-san deserved to have her presentation go smoothly.

Her dress was also designer made, of course. A long, silver sleeveless gown made to accent the jewelry she would be wearing, as opposed to accent her. The hairdresser had her long auburn hair styled high, in order to better show off her elaborate necklace and earrings. At the woman's direction, she turned one last time, ensuring that model, clothing, jewelry, and hair were all performing as they were supposed to.

'_What was that?'_ Ranma tried to keep her expression neutral as she tried to figure out what had just happened. It didn't feel anything like the youma, and it wasn't threatening. A quick look around the room didn't show anything to worry about. _'I guess I'm just jumpy.'_

The knock on the door preceded its opening just long enough to ensure any of models in the room could cover up if she wanted to, before one of the Osaka's assistants stuck his head in. "Five minutes, ladies." The head quickly withdrew. Sometimes, the causal disregard for privacy in this business still surprised her. But it definitely was necessary to ensure things went smoothly.

Half an hour later found Ranma strutting, posing, and withdrawing on cue to the energetic music, all for the benefit of an audience who were paying far more attention to the pretty baubles adorning her neck, fingers, and lobes, than they were to Ranma herself. Which was exactly as it should be. Each time she returned back stage, her earrings, necklace, and rings would be quickly and professionally exchanged for a new set, and the cycle would repeat.

Finally, the centerpieces of the collection adorned her body, and she strutted and posed one last time, along with the other five models on the stage. An explosion of colored smoke signaled the end of the display, and along with the others she turned to applaud the genuine star of the show, Osaka Mayumi. The woman reached the center of the stage, spread her arms wide, and in stead of bowing, released jets of gas from her sleeves. The other women on stage fell like puppets with their strings cut, and Ranma herself was unable to remain upright, as the room spun about her.

Mayumi turned the jets of gas towards the panicking audience, who also collapsed the instant the gas touched them. As Ranma tried to summon up the strength to move, or even remain conscious, Mayumi kneeled beside one of the models, saying, "Your energy is mine."

'_Come on Ranma, move your ass.'_ She heard someone shout something. _'People are in trouble! Get it in gear.'_ Ranma summoned enough strength to at least pull her face up from off the ground.

"You! Why are you not affected."

'_Lady, if you call _this_ unaffected, you're the master of understatement. Either that, or Beryl didn't make you too bright.'_

A new voice declared, "Because… because… Luna, why?"

Ranma looked towards the audience, where someone was standing among the unconscious audience. Unfortunately, her vision was far too blurry to make out any details, but the voice sounded female, and young. Another voice replied to her question, which the first echoed, "Because I'm a Senshi."

Mayumi stepped forward. "Senshi?"

Still struggling to recover from the effects of the gas, Ranma could only watch as a youma emerged from Mayumi, and chased the girl out of the room. _'So that's where that thing was. No wonder I couldn't find it.'_ Ranma stood, and staggered towards the dressing room. _'It was possessing Osaka-san. I need the Kinjakan. I hate to kill Osaka-san, but I can't let that monster live.'_

In the dressing room, she pulled the case out, and grabbed the Kinjakan. Still unsteady on her feet, she staggered towards the lobby, where the sounds of screaming could be heard. The screaming ended, and a bright light filled the lobby ahead of her, preceeded by someone crying, "Moon Healing Escalation," in English. Moments later, the youma's presence disappeared.

'_Whoever the new Senshi was, I guess she won her first battle.'_ With a sigh, Ranma leaned back against the corridor wall. _'That thing was a lot stronger than I expected. Am I just fooling myself, thinking I can change things?'_

As she leaned against the wall, trying to regain her composure, a male voice asked, "What the hell happened to you?"

Ranma looked farther down the corridor. Two figures stood there. The first was a young girl. Her long blonde hair was tied with a red bow, and she was wearing a Sailor Senshi uniform. The wide-eyed girl must be the Sailor V she had been hearing about. For some reason Ranma couldn't fathom, she seemed to be in shock.

The taller of the two was a black haired man wearing dark Chinese style garments, a golden dragon embroidered on the left arm and chest. Though he was wearing a golden mask, Ranma recognized him instantly.

She wanted to say something appropriate, but her body betrayed her. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she felt herself begin to fall. After that, she knew no more.


	4. Chapter 4

Spoiled Brats

Author's Note: As always, I'd like to thank fukufics dot com for providing C&C. I'm working at a faster pace than normal, trying to keep up with NaNoWriMo, so I'm far more likely to miss mistakes I've made. Especially when compared to my usual glacial pace.

Disclaimer: I own neither PGSM nor Ranma ½. If I did, I would've had PGSM do the entire run of the manga, not just the Dark Kingdom arc. And they would've done a much better job at continuity than the anime.

Chapter Four – Arguing with Myself

Aino Minako felt someone nudging her shoulder. It was probably Artemis. The animated stuffed cat may not like the schedule she was keeping, but at least he was willing to help her keep it. She _needed_ to keep a high profile in order for the enemy to target her, instead of the Princess, which meant that she couldn't quit being an idol even if she wanted to. Which she didn't.

And despite what Megumi-sempai said, she didn't _dare_ say no to anything. _Nothing_ could endanger the mission, even if it meant her waking hours were booked solid. It also meant nightly patrols, so that Sailor V would be in the news as well. She was getting in plenty of practice, but she was running on four hours a sleep a night. But as long as she was in the crosshairs of the enemy, the Princess was safe. Nothing else mattered, not even her life.

What she hadn't expected was company. Not long after she'd become Sailor V, she met the Dragon Knight. He was strong, handsome, brave, skilled, and every time they met, he had her blushing in under five minutes. Right now, she was really tempted to go back to the dream where she was safe in his arms, where he leaned forward, and whispered in her ear…

"Sailor V, wake up. The youma is on the move."

She woke up on the roof overlooking the jeweler's, the sun in the sky overhead almost blinding her. She looked around in a panic, wondering what was happening.

"Are you okay?"

"What? What time is it?"

"I'd say a little after two in the afternoon. You really must've been tired. You've been asleep almost sixteen hours."

"But I have to… I need to… I missed…"

"I thought you didn't have school today."

"I… I just had a lot of things I needed to do today. Did you say the youma was on the move?"

"Yes. Are you okay to come along?"

"I'm fine. I just… I'm fine."

The two of them easily jumped down to street level, jumping down to the roofs of lower buildings each time. They found the back entrance to Mayumi Osaka Designer Jewelry half open, with one of the guards passed out in the doorway. Ahead, they saw a figure stagger drunkenly from one of the rooms, all but dragging a heavy looking short staff behind her. Minako stifled a gasp when she recognized the figure.

It was Megumi-sempai. Her hair was in disarray, though she could tell that it had once been prettily styled up high, accenting her slender neck. The expensive jewelry she had on was at odds with the disheveled designer dress she wore. Not to mention that she was staggering _towards_ danger, towards the youma, when anyone sane would be running the other way. Except for Minako, of course, and the Dragon Knight. But they were Senshi. Heroes. They were _supposed_ to run towards danger.

But Megumi-sempai was a singer. An actress and model, who only played a Senshi in the movies. And that actress was staggering towards danger with an obviously magical weapon. It was then that Minako realized that her sempai was much more like her than she thought. She was also a Senshi, just like her.

Ahead of them, in what was probably the lobby of the building, there was a cry of "Moon Healing Escalation," which was followed by a bright white light. An instant later, the presence of the youma vanished. Minako watched her sempai relax, and lean against the wall.

She glanced at the Dragon Knight, who was staring at her sempai in horror. He asked, "What the hell happened to you?"

Megumi-sempai turned her head slowly in their direction. Her eyes were vacant, almost unseeing, and dark circles stained her skin under her eyes. She opened her mouth once, and then twice, as if trying to speak. Then her eyes rolled up, and she dropped to the ground, the staff falling from her hand with a clang.

Knight-sama rushed forward, taking her sempai into his arms, before he turned and walked back into the room she had come from. "Sailor V, grab the Kinjakan, and follow me."

She nodded absently, picking up the surprisingly heavy short staff. She entered the room, where he was laying Megumi on a nearby couch. He turned to her, and took the staff gently from her hands, placing it in a long, thin case that held a second short staff, this one with a silver crescent moon on the end, rather than a golden hoop.

When the Dragon Knight turned around, he had a handkerchief in his hand. "Sailor V, would you please get some cold water?" She took it with a nod, walking from the dressing room. She saw a ladies room nearby, and soaked the handkerchief in cold water.

When she emerged, she almost walked right into the tuxedoed jewel thief. He stared at her for a few seconds, in surprise and fear, before she turned away and walked back into the dressing room. Her sempai was more important. Behind her, she heard the thief walk quickly towards the back entrance.

Knight-sama took the soaked handkerchief from her. "Trouble?"

Minako shook her head. "Nothing that can't keep." She watched as the man pressed the lay the handkerchief on her sempai's forehead. "How is she?"

Megumi opened her eyes to look at her. "I'm fine."

The Dragon Knight glared at her. "Bull. That thing laid you out flat on your back, and it didn't even have to fight you to do it. It wouldn't have been able to do that if you were at top form."

She sat up. Minako noticed that she looked a lot better than she had a few minutes ago. "It was a lot more powerful than it looks."

"Again, bull. We fought much more powerful beings than that youma when we were still teenagers. I might've believed that it caught you by surprise, if you hadn't brought those weapons. There's something wrong. Have you been to see Doc Toufuu?"

Megumi stood up and began taking off her jewelry, laying it in a cushioned tray. "It's nothing. I just have a lot on my plate right now." She fumbled with the straps of her dress, and began taking it off. Minako looked at the Dragon Knight, expecting him to at least turn around, and give her sempai some privacy.

He didn't. He didn't even seem interested in her body, except in the clinical sense. "Right. You look like you haven't been eating right. Your body tone is shot, and I can tell your hands are shaking. When was the last time you studied the art?"

Megumi pulled on a pair of jeans, and a cute t-shirt. "I practice every day."

"I said studied, not practiced. Speaking of which, how long do you practice?"

Megumi grabbed her purse and case and started towards the door, only to find the Dragon Knight in her path. Her sempai looked up defiantly at her Knight for a few seconds, before her shoulders slumped. "An hour."

"An hour. You're so busy with your career, that you only have time to practice for an hour, and yet you expect to be able to take this thing head on. Why are you doing this?"

"Do you have to ask? Those three are awakening, and their conflict would destroy the world again. It's up to me to stop them."

"Aren't you full of yourself. Who the hell appointed you guardian of the Earth? In case you've forgotten, someone already has that job."

Megumi turned away. "And he did such a fine job the first time, didn't he?" She asked bitterly.

"And you think running yourself ragged will fix things? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Megumi's answer caused Minako's heart to leap into her throat. "Would it matter if I did?"

"What?"

Megumi stepped around Knight-sama, and walked slowly towards the door. "You know what's coming as well as I do. That can be the only explanation for that stupid outfit you're wearing. If I can stop this thing, wouldn't it be worth it, even if it cost my life? Everyone would be alive, and it's not like anyone would miss me if I were gone."

"Bull. What about me?"

"You don't count."

"What about Kasumi and Doc Toufuu? Their kids?"

"I'm doing this for them."

"What about Minako-chan?"

Minako's eyes widened.

"How do you think she'd feel if her sempai drove herself to her death?"

"Don't."

"Do you think she'd just shrug and get on with her life?"

"Stop."

"Somehow I see her crying her heart out at night if you died like that."

Megumi spun, driving a fist right at the Dragon Knight's face. He casually blocked her fist with his palm. She glared at him for a second, tears wetting her cheeks, before she turned back and angrily slammed the door open. And ripped the door off its hinges.

The Dragon Knight turned to the surprised girl, took her hand gently, and kissed it. "I'm afraid I have to go and knock some sense into my sister, my beautiful Sailor Senshi. Probably literally. I had no idea that it had gotten this bad." He bowed, and followed her sempai out of the door.

Minako stood in that room for five minutes, before she realized that if the Dragon Knight was her sempai's brother, then he must be Takeda Kappei, who was not only a big martial arts star himself, but also one of the best martial artists on the planet. He was regularly voted one of the most eligible bachelors in Japan.

And he keeps calling her beautiful.

Only concern for her sempai kept her from swooning on the spot.

- + - + -

"Let me go, you bastard!" Ranma growled as she faded into her hotel room, Ranma's strong arms pinning her own to her side.

He released her, which caused her to stagger onto the couch. The air about Ranma shimmered, as he allowed his Dragon Knight persona to vanish. Like Ranma, he was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, but the shirt was of an American rock band he liked. "I'd say that this experiment was a bust."

"It was going fine until you showed up."

"Right. You've got a death wish, and things are going fine. Why didn't you contact me when you first realized that those three were probably about to awaken?"

"Why didn't you? Or do you expect me to believe that you made friends with Sailor V, and dreamed up that ridiculous outfit, in just one day?"

"Touché. We both should've contacted each other, but our pride wouldn't let us. But only one of us has a career that's so busy that she doesn't have time to prepare for her little hobby."

"I'm alright."

Ranma moved into the room's bathroom, turning on the hot water. "You're not alright, if you're trying to kill yourself like this. I'm ending this experiment now." He splashed his face with hot water.

Ranma glared at the man. "Did you forget that I know damn well how to lock myself in a cursed form? Including one created by Jusenkyo instant spring products? You're not getting rid of me that easy."

"If that's the way you want to play it, then I can drag our sorry assess down to Doc Toufuu's, and let _him_ deal with us. After all, you're not even strong enough to take on a youma. Come to think of it, that might be a good idea after all. We're clearly not in our right mind right now."

The pair glared angrily at each other, until the door to the hotel room opened up. A black haired woman, humming a merry tune quietly to herself, walked in. Upon seeing the other two in her hotel room, a very surprised Ranma said, "Whoops. Busted."


	5. Chapter 5

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I own neither PGSM nor Ranma ½. If I did, I wouldn't need a day job.

Chapter Five: Intervention

Ranma crossed his arms and glared at the auburn haired woman on the bed. "Are you completely out of your mind?"

Ranma closed the door of her room quietly, and glanced at Ranma as she took off her coat. "Of course she is. We all are, ever since we decided to solve our time management problem with…" Ranma trailed off as she took a good look at her counterpart. "What the hell happened to you?"

"She almost got taken out by a youma at her modeling gig today."

"Ouch. That sucks. Especially with you at half strength like that."

"Quarter strength."

Ranma paused on her way to the bed. "Oh, right. I keep forgetting that."

"I noticed. She also knew it was there in the first place."

Ranma glanced at Ranma, before turning her gaze towards the auburn haired woman on the bed. "Are you completely out of your mind?"

"I don't want to hear it."

"You should've called me the instant you knew about the youma."

"I thought I could handle it."

Ranma, with a toss of her black hair, plopped down on the couch near the window. "Like you handled Beryl?"

Ranma glared at the two women in the room. "You confronted Beryl? At half strength?"

Ranma gave a sheepish shrug. "Quarter strength, actually. I couldn't find time to hunt down Beryl while I had a movie to film, so I decided to use the instant Spring of Drowned Twin again. I managed to put on a good show in front of her, but I almost killed myself teleporting out of there. I was worried that she might have more than one minion, so I didn't want to hang around."

Ranma rubbed his face with his hands. "How often have you been using it?"

The prone woman mumbled, "Not too much."

Ranma looked at the man glaring at her lighter haired counterpart. "Don't believe her. I'm down to our last two packets. And I was planning on ordering some more… at least until I had a week's long vacation to relax and think. I think we need to reintegrate and seriously reconsider our priorities."

A petulant voice sounded out from the bed. "I'm right here, you know."

The man looked at the woman on the couch. "I agree. But I think we should reconsider our priorities before reintegrating. And we should involve Doctor Toufuu."

Ranma paled, then began squirming in her seat. "He'll yell at us," she said in a small voice. "And he'd be right to do so."

"I doubt that. He's always been level headed. We will get a very stern lecture, though."

"Don't I get a say in this?"

Two Ranma's turned to the one on the bed and said, "No."

- + - + -

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR MIND?"

"Now, Kasumi, I don't think that will help," Doctor Ono said placatingly.

"OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE, RECKLESS…"

Three Ranma's dropped their heads in shame, and said as one, "Sorry, Kasumi."

"Now dear, Ranma admits he has a problem, and has come to us for help. At least now we know how he's been keeping this pace of his. Ranma-kun, do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"

Ranma shrugged. "It just halves my ki. It's not like I don't have plenty of it. I was far more worried about being female full time, but I figured I could handle it. By that point, I was nearly female full time anyways, since I learned how to lock the curse. I was a guy pretty much only for the odd movie role as Kappei, and the tournaments of course." Ranma looked at her male counterpart. "No offense, but you got the worst half of the bargain."

Ranma looked at the woman between them. "I'd say she indicates otherwise."

"Good point. So, Doc, can you help us?"

"Do any of you care that you'd be killing me?"

Doctor Toufuu looked at the auburn haired woman sympathetically. "Ranma… you're not exactly alive. You're one being in three separate bodies, one soul that has been fractured into three pieces. And the two smaller pieces have been repeatedly shattered and taped back together again and again. How long has it been since you first split up?"

Ranma looked at the other two. "A year?"

"I'm amazed you've lasted this long without significant psychological problems. That makes it much more important than ever for you reintegrate right away. You two have developed rather different personalities, and achieving a balance between them is not going to be pleasant."

"Right, Doc, but before we do that, there's several things we need to do, first."

- + - + -

Ranma rapped his knuckles on the table. "Okay, the first and last meeting of the Ranma club is now in order. First order of business: Are we all agreed that it is for the best to reintegrate?"

Two pairs of eyes turned towards the third, which was hidden behind auburn bangs. The woman nodded, reluctantly.

"Second order of business: Are we all agreed that the current crisis is more important, and all other considerations should be put on hold until it is resolved, with the sole exception of completing the Mamono Hunter Yohko movie?"

Two voices, one male and one quiet female, echoed, "Hai."

"Third order of business: After the crisis is over, are we all agreed that we will pursue only the fields that we choose, and that we each get to choose one?" Two heads nodded, one very reluctantly. "Good. I choose Martial Arts," male Ranma said.

The black haired woman said, "I like acting way too much. And that would be the roles _with_ breasts."

A quiet voice said, "Minako-chan."

Ranma looked at her stunned male counterpart, and said gently, "Dear. We're talking about careers, not potential love interests."

"I want Minako-chan."

"Is there a problem, Ranma?"

Ranma's shoulders drooped as he said, "I'd been considering Sailor V myself. She's so cute, and so much fun to tease. In a couple of years, she'll grow up to be downright irresistible. But if it's that important to her…"

"Arigato."

- + - + -

Artemis paced back and forward atop the top of the couch, waiting for Minako to come home. She had been missing since she went out on patrol last night, and she hadn't called since. For the first time, he was cursing his current form. Sure it had made sense at the time, since a girl could get away with carrying a stuffed toy anywhere she went, while the same couldn't be said about a real cat. But right now a _real_ cat would be able to get away with going _anywhere_ he wanted, while a walking stuffed toy would raise more than a few eyebrows if he was seen.

The sound of a key in the door caused Artemis to dive towards the right side of the couch. It might be Minako's manager again. The poor man was just as worried as he was, and had spent several hours waiting for her here. He had canceled all her appearances for today and tomorrow, and even had people out looking for her.

Artemis regained his feet when Minako slowly walked through the door, leaning against it after it closed. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks were still wet with tears. "Minako-chan, what's wrong?"

Minako turned haunted eyes towards him, before rushing forward, crying, "Oh, Artemis! It's Megumi-sempai." It was the only coherent thing he got from her for the next fifteen minutes.

- + - + -

"Artemis, what am I going to do?"

A rather damp Artemis looked up at his charge. "First, you're going to wash your face. Then you're going to call Manager-san, and let him know you're all right. He's very worried about you."

"But what am I going to tell him? I can't tell him the truth. 'Hi! Manager-san? Minako here. I just wanted to call you and tell you I'm fine. Where was I? Well, I fell asleep on a roof while staking out a youma, and I woke up just in time to watch Megumi-sempai have a nervous breakdown because she couldn't balance being an idol with being a real-life devil hunter.'"

Artemis jumped down and followed Minako into the bathroom, where the girl was scrubbing her face. When she finished, she stared in the mirror at her reflection. "Artemis. Am I doing the right thing?"

"Minako-chan, you know my feelings about that."

"I know, and I'm beginning to think you're right. I wish I could talk to Megumi-sempai, but she has enough to worry about."

"Minako…"

"Maybe I should talk to Dragon Knight-sama."

"Minako, you know he could be an enemy…"

"He's Megumi-sempai's brother."

"Oh." Someone knocked on the door. "That's probably Manager-san. He's been here twice looking for you."

"I guess it's time to face the music." Minako picked up Artemis, and walked to the door to her hotel room. She opened up, and said, "Manager-san…"

It wasn't Manager-san. A handsome man was standing there, one she recognized instantly. It was Takeda Kappei, who had a grave expression on his face. The similarities between her sempai and the Dragon Knight were obvious when he was wearing normal clothes.

"Aino Minako?"

Her tone was bit dreamy as she waved. "Hi."

"I'm Takeda Kappei, Megumi's brother. I have a message from Megumi, one she wanted you to hear from me, rather than the news. Can we sit down?"

"Of course."

Holding Artemis a little tighter than necessary, Minako sat on the couch. Takeda-san sat down beside her, then took her hand. The girl's beginning blush died as he began to talk. "Lately, Megumi has been very busy with her career. Too busy. She's been using something to help her keep up, and it's caught up with her." Minako gasped. "She's alright, but she needs to take some time off, from everything, to get her priorities and head straight. She wanted me to tell you that this does not include you. If you need her for _anything,_ anything at all, you call her. This is her private number. If you need advice, someone to complain to, or are just lonely, call her. You're very special to her."

He stood, turned, and offered her his hand. Gently, he helped her stand, and then kissed her hand. "There's just one more thing. This is from Megumi." He kissed her cheek. He then smiled a smile she knew too well. "This is from me." He kissed her on the lips. "Thanks for being my sister's friend." He turned and exited the room, as the furiously blushing girl dropped to her knees.

Artemis looked worriedly at his ward, who had a slightly glazed expression on her face. "Minako-chan?"

"My first kiss was from Takeda Kappei!"

"Oh, Minako-chan."

- + - + -

"Today, the entertainment industry has suffered a double blow. Actress and singer Takeda Megumi, through her manager, announced that following finishing the filming of her latest movie, that she would be taking a year off, due to overwork. All other appearances have been cancelled, including the highly anticipated 'Touch My Heart' Tour. Her brother, action star Takeda Kappei, announced he would be also be taking the year off, in order to help care for his sister. We here at Tokyo Today wish Megumi our affection, and prayers for a speedy recovery."


	6. Chapter 6

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I am the very model of a modern major General. I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral. I know the Kings of England and I quote the fights historical from Marathon and Waterloo, in order categorical.

Author's Note: As someone noted, I've already reached 10,000 words. This story will also probably be longer than 50,000 words, based on the how the story is progressing. I'm pretty sure that NaNoWriMo rules require the novel to be finished by the end of the month, but I'm writing for the challenge, and hopefully improve my writing pace, not to compete. If I can reach 50,000 words by Nov 30th, I'll have reached my goal.

Chapter Six: Trinity

"Ranma?"

Saotome Ranma focused on the voice at the end of the tunnel. He'd reply, but currently his brain was trying to escape from his skull.

"Ranma? Are you okay?"

"Verglesplut."

"I'll take that as I no."

_'Okay, that was a lot worse than I expected.'_

'_I agree. Good thing that Doc insisted we fast for twelve hours before reintegrating.'_

'_Yeah. Tossing my lunch is not my idea of fun.'_

'_This was your guys idea in the first place.'_

Ranma opened his eyes, before closing them again as the bright light stabbed into them.

'_I really don't think you should do that again.'_

'_Maybe you should just get some sleep, and see if things are better in the morning.'_

'_Good idea.'_

_'Yeah, sleep sounds good…'_

- + - + -

Ranma awoke from a troubled sleep. He had a splitting headache, worse than any hangover he had had.

_'When did I start drinking that heavy?'_

_'You cannot believe how stuffy some of those parties could be. A little drink now and then helped make them less stuffy.'_

_'But heavy enough to have a hangover?'_

_'I wasn't drinking heavily. I simply forgot that I can't halve my blood-alcohol level by taking a hot bath after the party.'_

_'Ah. You know you're getting used to the curse when it's a part of your sobering up regime.'_

Ranma looked around, wondering who was talking.

_'Boy, slow on the uptake, isn't he?'_

'_Give him time. He's only been alive a few hours, and he's been unconscious for most of them.'_

'_What do you mean? Are we dead?'_

"Shut up, would you?"

_'Oh, does that mean we get to be consciences? I want to be the devil. I look stunning in a red leather bustier.'_

'_Dibs on the angel!'_

'_Where does that leave me?'_

'_You get to be the male ego.'_

'_Shouldn't that role go to the one who was male this last year?'_

'_But I want to be the devil!'_

Ranma groaned as he made his way out of the bedroom.

Kasumi greeted him with a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Ranma. How are you feeling?"

"They won't shut up."

'_What was _that_ supposed to mean?'_

'_Yeah. We're your subconscious. We're supposed to be noisy.'_

'_Come on, let the poor guy think.'_

"Oh, dear. That's not ideal, but it is expected. Toufuu said that because you've been separated for so long, personality differences were bound to occur. Don't worry, though. After a few weeks, they'll disappear."

_'Great. We only have a few weeks to live.'_

'_In that case, we should enjoy life while it lasts. o/` Seraburate gudu taimusu, kumu on! o/`'_

'_Stick to Japanese. Your English isn't that good.'_

_'Everybody's a critic.'_

"Come on, Ranma. Let's get some dinner into you, then you can go back to bed."

"Thanks, Kasumi."

- + - + -

Ono Kasumi poured a cup of tea for her husband, and then for herself. "Dear, I'm worried about Ranma. Should he be going out? It's only been four days."

"Kasumi, he'll be fine. We can't keep him cooped up until he completely reintegrates. He's sufficiently cognizant, and even his former personalities have been… less annoying than they were before, I believe he put it."

"Still, I worry. What is he doing right now?"

"Apartment hunting, I believe."

- + - + -

_'We definitely need one in Minato Ward. It seems to be the focus of whatever this is, and it is pretty close to downtown.'_

'_I think we should keep the room at the Hilton. It has a great view.'_

Ranma rolled his eyes heavenward. _'We can't keep the room at the Hilton. We can't afford it, once we stop working,' _he thought, exasperatedly. _'Just be thankful that we can afford a nice apartment with the royalties, residuals, and other income we get from all our previous work.'_

'_Minato it is then. Should we get one in the shopping district, or maybe one overlooking Prince Arisugawa Park?'_

_'Azabu-Juuban is likely to be more expensive.'_

_'But it also has a higher population density, which means it's more likely to be attacked.'_

Ranma thought about it for a few minutes, before making a decision. He'd check out apartments in the shopping district first.

- + - + -

The only thing worse than apartment hunting, Ranma decided, is apartment hunting with an invisible audience that insisted upon offering a running commentary. _'Maybe I should hire an apartment hunter,'_ he thought, flipping through the listing he'd picked up.

_'I liked the three bedroom one.'_

_'We don't need three bedrooms. What would we use them for?'_

'_Our bedroom, a guest bedroom, and a study.'_

'_Planning on having company over?'_

'_Minako-chan!'_

Ranma groaned. Her focus on the idol singer went far beyond a sempai/kohai relationship. The girl was fourteen. Sure, she was cute, but any relationship outside of casual dating made him uncomfortable.

_'That's why we need a guest bedroom.'_

_'Maybe we shouldn't have one, if that's what you want it for.'_

_'Look, can we concentrate on apartment hunting?'_ Ranma thought fiercely. _'No offense, but I'm much more comfortable flirting with Sailor V-chan, than Minako-chan.'_

_'But you promised.'_

_'No, I didn't. I didn't exist until five days ago, remember? I don't see why I should be bound by a promise someone else made.'_ Ranma paused as the walkway began to spin.

_'Don't do that!'_

_'Stop it!'_

_'I will not be bullied by anyone, especially myself!'_ Ranma shouted in is mind. After several minutes, Ranma regained his equilibrium. _'Look, I'm not rejecting Minako-chan. I'm just saying that I would be more comfortable if she were a year or two older, like Sailor V.'_

_'I think they're the same age.'_

Ranma stopped. He sensed the presence of a youma nearby.

_'You are nowhere near in good enough condition to take on a youma right now.'_

Ranma followed the feeling. _'I'm not about to turn around and walk away.'_

_'I know, I'm just warning you.'_

As Ranma got closer, he began running into unconscious people. He also could hear a peculiar type of tapping. He turned to his left, walking quietly and carefully along a skyway that connected two of the buildings. Having reached the end of the skyway, Ranma carefully peered around the corner, looking down into the atrium of the building. Below, two Sailor Senshi fought a pair of giant animated clay statues.

Badly.

Fortunately for them, the youma were just as unskilled. Eventually, the girls were able to maneuver their opponents into a position where they could use their magical attacks. The twin pony-tailed blonde's "Moon Twilight Flash" destroyed the larger, humanoid statue. The blue-haired girl's "Mercury Aqua Mist" disintegrated the smaller, dog-like youma.

Ranma watched as the girls congratulated themselves, then groaned when the blonde called her friend by what was probably her real name. _'Those girls are in serious need of proper training.'_

- + - + -

Aino Minako looked at the envelope she had just received from Manager-san. He hadn't scolded her. He hadn't yelled at her. He had simply said he was glad she was all right, and then asked if she needed anything.

She didn't think he actually expected her to take him up on the offer. And she knew he hadn't been expecting her request. The end result of which was in the envelope she held in her hands.

With a muted squeal, Minako fell backwards into her bed. _'Megumi-sempai will be so surprised.'_ Minako thought cheerfully. _'I just have to find some way to get it to her.'_

Author's note: I am so glad writing a short chapter happened to fall on Election Day. I want to keep the momentum going. ^_^;

Author's note, redux: I forgot to make sure the formatting survived the move the first time I uploaded this. :(


	7. Chapter 7

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I own neither PGSM nor Ranma ½. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

Author's Note: One thing to keep in mind about this fic is that PGSM is a bit different than the anime and manga versions of Sailor Moon. One of the biggest changes is that there is quite a bit of difference between the appearance of the girls' civilian identities, who look like typical Japanese girls, and those of their Senshi form. If you're curious about how much of a difference, go to youtube dot com, and enter the search terms "PGSM opening." I should warn you that the opening theme is _very_ catchy.

Chapter Seven: Reflecting on the Past

Saotome Ranma, dressed in an attractive miniskirt and blouse, felt a genuine smile cross her face when she saw who was waiting for her at the studio gate. Yoshida Konami, the twenty year old actress who once again played Kanzai Azusa, waved brightly as she approached. "Ohayo, Megumi-sempai. I can't believe how much better you look, even after a week."

"I feel so much better. I can't believe I let myself get caught in that trap. You'd think I'd know better than that. I've been giving young women the same advice for years."

'_Rub it in, why don't you.'_

"It creeps up on you. When I heard the news, the first thing I did was look at my own schedule. I couldn't believe that the time I'd taken more than a day off was two years ago. Well, at least your brother managed to make you see reason. I can't believe he just gave up everything like that. You two must be very close."

'_You have no idea.'_

Ranma smiled. "We've been pretty much inseparable since our birth. The last year is the longest we've ever been apart."

'_And we'll never do that again, right?'_

'_There might come a time, soon, where we really do need to be in two places at the same time…'_

'_No there won't. Don't let us fall into that trap again.'_

Ranma started in surprise when Konami grabbed her hand, and began to tug. "This way, sempai."

"I thought we were in studio seven."

"We were, but there's been some changes. We're in studio two now."

'_Uh, oh. I think we really screwed things up.'_

'_Yeah. Studio two's rather old, even if it is larger. That does not sound good.'_

Konami opened the door, and Ranma stepped into the darkened studio. Beyond the door, she could sense dozens of people, and prepared herself to act suitably surprised.

She didn't have to. She had expected the banner, and the cast and crew crying "Surprise!" She hadn't expected a sight that she had only seen on a computer screen. It wasn't quite complete yet, but it was the set for the climax of the movie. Which had already been filmed on a green-screen stage.

_'They're not going to…'_

Staring at the incomplete set, Ranma asked, "What's going on?"

The director smiled. "I remembered about what you said about how limiting you found the original green-screen work. Plus the delay allowed my original choice to play the Warlord to be available." The director beckoned towards a shadowed part of the set. Out of the shadows strode a handsome, longhaired Chinese man, dressed in a Western suit. "Takeda Megumi, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to Li Nyugen. Li Nyugen, Takeda Megumi."

Ranma started, as she got a second surprise today. _'It's Mousse!'_

- + - + -

The party had been going on for an hour before Ranma could talk to Mousse privately.

"You know, Ranma, I still find it hard to believe that you're _the_ Takeda Megumi. I mean, now that I've seen you in person, it seems obvious, but I simply have a hard time believing that you could be that feminine."

Ranma shrugged. "It's called acting. After Jusendo, I wanted to disappear, and I figured the best way would be to go girl. Turns out that I've actually got a lot of talent for that."

'_Why, thank you.'_

'_Egomaniac.'_

"And I take it that Takeda Kappei is your male side?"

"You got it. I see you stumbled upon the martial arts movie scene too."

"Yeah. There's big money to be made if you can do your own stunts, are reasonably attractive, and can act. It's definitely better than what the Amazons offered back home."

"Speaking of the Amazons, are they still mad at me?"

'_Of course they're not. They've probably forgiven you for threatening to level their villages, inflicting grievous bodily harm on many of their people…'_

"Ranma, they're a little more than mad. If it weren't for the fact that you killed the three most reactionary matriarchs when they tried to 'liberate' the Kinjakan and the Gekkaja, they'd be trying to pursue their blood oaths. Cologne and the new council are still forbidding them to do so, lest you return and finish the job you started."

'… _Curdling milk, and causing dogs and cats to fornicate, among other offenses.'_

Ranma grimaced. "I wasn't exactly thinking straight right after Jusendo."

'_Or a long time after Jusendo, for that matter.'_

"Yeah. You were pretty scary there for a while. Cologne had a theory that a past life of yours had awoken during the fight with Saffron."

Ranma nodded.

'_There's the understatement of the millennium, Silver or otherwise.'_

Mousse smirked, "I bet it was female."

Ranma snorted in amusement. "I don't know about you, but I want to play."

Mousse blinked. "Play?"

- + - + -

Director Sakata Junichi trailed off as he noticed his star and Li Nyugen walking into the half-completed set, unfamiliar swords in their hands.

"How do you want to do this, Megumi?"

"I've been keeping it two notches above normal, Nyu-chan. Let's take it to three."

"Any rules?"

"No projectile weapons, no destroying the scenery, and we keep it friendly."

Yoshida Konami noticed the source of his distraction, and asked, "They got awfully familiar pretty quickly, didn't they?"

The pair squared off, and promptly tried to kill each other, while they were making small talk.

"You know, I always figured if you went with a weapon, it would be the katana."

"Ah, but the character I'm playing has a Chinese theme. Therefore, the Chinese sword."

"You're very good."

"Thanks, I have good reason to be."

Megumi leapt, bouncing from pillar to pillar until she reached one of the elevated platforms. Nyugen replicated her maneuver on opposing pillars, and each time they passed, they managed to exchange several blows. And they were doing it without the use of wires.

"Don't those high heels make things difficult for you?"

"I've gotten quite good at it. It's just a matter of balance and situational awareness. What about you? I don't see your glasses."

"Ah, my dear Megumi, I had LASIK done. Didn't fix everything, but at least I can wear contacts now."

Konami smiled as she lifted her director's jaw. The ending was going to be so cool!

- + - + -

Aino Minako once again placed her hand on her knee, trying to keep her foot from bouncing in impatience at the delay. She really wanted to get to the studio before Megumi-sempai left for the day, and the sun was already beginning to set.

In the front seat of the car, her driver closed his cell phone. "Sorry, Aino-san. We're stuck. This traffic jam stretches for kilometers. You could call the studio, and ask her to wait for you."

Minako shook her head. "And ruin the surprise? No way."

The driver smiled at the frustrated young brunette in the back seat. He was beginning to think Minako's feelings for the older idol went a bit beyond the normal sempai/kohai relationship. He looked around, and noticed something that may help the girl. "You know, Aino-san," he began, pointing, "You could rent a bike over…"

"… There," he finished to the empty car. "Wow, she can really move fast when she wants to."

- + - + -

Minako, pedaling furiously in order to catch her sempai before she left, didn't notice how much more frantic rush hour was than what was normal for this time of day. It wasn't until a fight broke out in the middle of the street that she realized exactly _how_ abnormal this traffic jam was.

'_Youma,' _she thought, nearly ready to scream in frustration. For a few seconds, she was tempted to pedal on and meet up with Megumi-sempai, and let Moon and Mercury handle things, before her sense of duty reasserted itself. She was on the scene, and they were probably several kilometers south of here. So she ducked into the alley, transformed into Sailor V, and went youma hunting.

She found the youma several blocks away on top of a roof, locked in furious battle with the Dragon Knight. _'Well, the battle is furious on the part of the youma.'_ This one had a clock theme, and Knight-sama had already sliced off several of its hands with his sword, while the creature flailed about uselessly. Knight-sama effortlessly evaded each of its attacks, before slicing off another chuck.

"Ah, my beautiful sailor suited Senshi. I thought I had sensed you nearby. If I remember correctly, you've been confining your activities to the criminal class. Have you ever fought a youma before?"

Minako blinked when she realized that she hadn't. Knight-sama seemed to sense that fact, and withdrew with flourish of his cape, bowing to her in a courtly manner.

"Then it is all yours, my lady."

Sailor V nodded, and then rushed into battle. The clumsy and awkward youma turned out to be anything but. It dodged her moon compact, and then rushed to attack, which left her evading its attacks as she waited for the weapon to return. She cartwheeled away from the youma, snatched the compact out of the air, and hurled it again. It struck true this time, causing the youma to stagger backwards, while the compact bounced back to her hand. She repeated the attack a second time, and then a third. One final throw caused the youma to disintegrate. She noticed an almost immediate reduction in the amount of honking coming from the jam below.

She leaned forward and put her hands on her knees, puffing slightly. That had been a lot harder than she thought. And Knight-sama had handled that thing effortlessly. He was so cool!

She straitened, and promptly blushed at the look he was giving her. "Not bad, not bad at all. You definitely have the instincts, but you need more practice to polish them."

Minako nodded. "Hai." She suddenly realized that she wouldn't be able to reach her sempai in time. But there was a solution to the problem. "Um… Knight-sama?"

"Yes, Sailor V?"

She summoned the envelope from where it had been in the pocket of her coat, and presented it to the Dragon Knight, using both hands and bowing. "Here."

Puzzled, the Dragon Knight opened the envelope, and took out the two front row tickets to tomorrow's Aino Minako concert. He looked at her, and with a smile, asked, "Why, my beautiful sailor suited Senshi. Are you asking me out on a date?"

Author's note: I've never noticed how much I use my right pinky when typing, until I sliced the tip on some cardboard at work. Stupid thing's infected too, and it's really slowing me down.


	8. Chapter 8

Spoiled Brats

Acknowledgements: I'd like to once again thank the folks at fukufics dot com for providing C&C.

Chapter Eight – Reminiscence

Ranma, slightly puzzled, took the envelope from Sailor V's hands. Inside were two tickets to tomorrow night's Aino Minako concert.

'_She must be a fan.'_

'_Front row too. Those must've been really expensive.'_

'_We can't turn her down.'_

'_But…'_

'_We can't. But lets make sure she knows what's involved.'_

Smiling, Ranma asked, "Why, my beautiful sailor suited Senshi. Are you asking me out on a date?"

He watched her eyes widen, and she began to look uncomfortable. _'Am I misreading things?'_

"You know, when I was your age, most girls felt it was the guy's responsibility to make the first move." He took the flustered girl's hand and kissed it. "Personally, I like the modern approach."

Sailor V looked down, and twisted the toe of her shoe on the asphalt of the roof. "The tickets are for you and Megumi-sempai."

'_Huh?'_

"I don't understand."

'_Obviously. She knows your identity, for one thing.'_

"I would really like to go on a date with you, but it's kind of hard to go to my own concert, isn't it?"

_'Could it be…'_

"Minako-chan?"

Sailor V lowered her head. When her head rose again, the long blonde hair had been replaced with shorter brown hair. Blue eyes had darkened to brown, and the skimpy Sailor V outfit had been replaced with slacks, blouse, and a light coat against the cool October wind. Aino Minako nervously hugged herself, as she waited for the Dragon Knight's reaction.

- + - + -

There was a slight shimmer, and Takeda Kappei joined her on the roof. He was nicely dressed in khaki slacks, a denim shirt, and a darker blue sport's coat. He looked at her seriously, placed a hand on each of her shoulders, and said something that froze her heart. "Minako-chan, we need to talk."

The serious expression lightened, and he smiled. "Not that kind of talk. There's something that you need to know about me and my sister, if we're to allow this relationship to develop.

Minako blushed, her heart beginning to beat faster. _'We're in a relationship!'_

He pulled a towel out from somewhere, and put it on a piece of machinery on the roof, offering her a seat. He sat beside her, but didn't look at her. Instead, he looked at the sliver of sun sinking behind the mountains far to the west.

"Fortunately, I don't need to ask you if you believe in magic," Kappei began. Minako smiled at that. She definitely believed in magic. "There is a certain valley in the mountains of Western China, which contains a number of enchanted springs. Once, a very long time ago, it was a place of healing. Immersing yourself in the water restored your body to the way it should be. Wounds would be healed, missing limbs would be regenerated, birth defects would be corrected, and those who were cursed into another form would be restored to their birth form. Even people born with the wrong gender would emerge from the springs with the right one.

"Of course, there's just enough selfish people in the world to ruin a good thing. The three tribes closest to this valley had warred with each other over control of the valley for generations, and they all blame the others for being the first to shed blood on that sacred ground. But what turned those blessed springs into cursed ones was the discovery that there was a way to use them to alter your form, not just heal your body. If you drowned a living being in one of the springs, then whoever is immersed in it takes the form of the one who drowned."

Minako looked at the man beside her in horror. "That's awful."

"It gets worse. The initial cursed spring only allows you take the form of the victim's species. After species comes gender, and only after gender you can get more general attributes, or even a specific being. After five hundred years of this, there wasn't a single uncursed spring in the valley. The Amazons blamed the Musk for using the springs to create women out of animals, as much to ensure that real women wouldn't corrupt their male-dominated society, than passing the cursed animal's traits to the next generation. The Musk blamed the Amazons for using the springs to spy on their neighbors. Both blamed the people of Mount Phoenix for using the springs to create a powerful being of heat and flame in order to dominate the area."

"Sounds like a youma."

Kappei grimaced. "Youma are weaklings compared to Saffron. Fortunately for whoever fell into a cursed spring, all that bloodshed couldn't corrupt them completely. They could return to their birth form with hot water, at least until they get splashed with cold water again. When I was a little younger than you, my father took me to the valley of Jusenkyo when we were studying martial arts. He'd heard of this mystical training ground there, and he pretty much scoffed at the idea that it was cursed. We learned the truth pretty quick."

"You have a curse?"

Kappei nodded.

"Can I ask what it is?"

He smiled, and brought out a squirt gun from somewhere. "I fell into the spring of drowned girl," he said, squirting his face. Sitting in the exact same spot was Megumi-sempai, prettily dressed in a dark blue miniskirt and a white blouse. She looked Minako in the eye and said, "Hi. My name's Saotome Ranma. Nice to meet you."

- + - + -

Minako blinked at Ranma for a few seconds, before she cocked her head to the side. "Explain."

'_She's taking this better than most.'_

'_Minako-chan is V-chan!'_

'_Would you knock that off already?'_

_'Minako-chan is V-chan!'_

'_If you don't shut up, we could lose her!'_ Ranma thought, which finally shut up the pair of chanting voices in her head. _'Thank you.'_ "About a year after being cursed, I got dragged into a conflict between the Amazons and Saffron. And my fiancée at the time got dragged into it as well. Saffron's agents abducted her, and drowned her in a spring so that one of his agents could take her form."

Seeing Minako's horrified expression, she hurriedly added, "They revived her afterwards, thank the gods. They wanted to use her as a hostage. Somewhere along the line in my attempt to rescue her, I'd managed to get my hands of the Gekkaja, which would've allowed me to at least survive a confrontation with Saffron, if he hadn't had the Kinjakan as well.

"Akane had been gravely injured in an attempt to rescue me from my own folly," Ranma admitted in disgust, "and I couldn't get close to the source-water of Jusenkyo that could've restored her to health because _he_ wanted it all in order to become more powerful. I might've been a match for Saffron with the Gekkaja, but he had the Kinjakan, and I was desperate. That's when the past life awoke."

Minako shuddered. "I understand that feeling quite well. What do you remember?"

"I don't remember everything yet. I remember the fall of the Silver Millennium, and the people and actions that led to it. I remembered a bit of my life at court. But at the time, all I remembered was the rage I felt as everything I loved crumbled around me. And I remembered the power I had once wielded."

Ranma looked Minako in the eye. "Saffron didn't survive long after that. In a cold rage, and high on the power I'd inherited, and won in the form of the Kinjakan and Gekkaja, I demanded from the Amazons, who kept threatening me and mine, their knowledge about Jusenkyo. I got it, but some of the more power-hungry Amazons followed me back to Japan and tried to take the pair of staves from me. They destroyed my fiancée's family home, killed her older sister, and threatened to kill her. I destroyed them, and then returned to China to demonstrate my displeasure with their nation as a whole. Fortunately for them, the less bloodthirsty leaders of their community had managed to take control of their Council, and agreed to bring their people into the twentieth century in exchange for me not using their villages as target practice. Not exactly my best moment, I must admit."

Minako scooted closer, and put her arm around Ranma's waist. "What happened after that, sempai?"

"There may have been a truce between the Amazon nation and me, but that didn't stop individual Amazons from waging a blood feud. Not to mention that when I was younger, I had been extremely self-centered, and had attracted similarly self-centered people, and very few of us got along well. We had had enough power to be dubbed, 'The Nerima Wrecking Crew,' due to the damage we did when we had a fight. And my power had increased by an order of magnitude, even without the magical staves. I knew I'd never have peace if I tried to live as Ranma, and I was a danger to everyone around me. So I left it all behind, and a year later, the Takeda twins were born.

"After I had left, I had taken up monster hunting. I remembered that I had once helped protect the people of this world, and I had been a bit disgusted with my life up to that point. Of course, the job doesn't pay at all, and it can get quite expensive. I'd been supporting myself in tournaments and the occasional pit fight, when I'd found an ad for stuntmen. It didn't take long to realize that there was a lot higher demand for stunt_women_, and so I found myself more and more often spending time as a woman. The fact that I could lock myself in my cursed form, that I had learned how to swap my clothing when my form changed, and that most of the people looking for me were looking for a guy, also encouraged me to stick to the female gender.

"Seven years ago, an agent discovered that not only was I a very attractive stuntwoman and a great martial artist, but I had a lovely singing voice, and could apparently act. There was a live-action version of Mamono Hunter Yohko in the works, and he said I was perfect for the role. I auditioned, and won the role. The film was a blockbuster. I had the opportunity to write the lyrics of the ending theme, and perform it, of course, and there were a few image songs as well, and they were also big hits. And while I had enjoyed acting and singing, I didn't want to be in the spotlight at first. I enjoyed studying the Art, I loved participating in tournaments, but that other life kept beckoning to me.

"After the second Yohko movie, Megumi had ascended to full-blown idol, and I found myself having a hard time saying 'no.' Especially since I had started to like the spotlight. After the third, someone realized that if Megumi had all this talent, maybe her 'brother' did too. And I found myself trying to balance two careers at once, plus squeezing in monster hunting on the side."

Ranma leaned against Minako with a sigh. "That's when I had a really stupid idea. There's this spring in Jusenkyo called the spring of drowned twin, and it does exactly what it says. It turns one person into twins. I didn't use the real stuff, but there is a cottage industry for instant spring products, which is good for a very temporary change. If there wasn't enough time for two careers, then maybe it might be time for there to be two of me. Since I was able to lock myself in a cursed form, there was no risk of taking a hot shower and reintegrating back into one person."

Ranma smiled at the girl watching her. "So Saotome Ranma, who had been going by Takeda Megumi or Kappei depending on form, became Takeda Megumi and Takeda Kappei in fact. And soon afterwards, Megumi met a lovely young woman named Aino Minako, and Kappei encountered the vivacious Sailor V."

Ranma watched as the girl began to blush again. "But other things were happening. Beryl had awakened as well, and while Kappei's career was relaxed enough to investigate her, Megumi's was not. Megumi started using the instant spring powder again, when she felt she needed to be in two places at the same time. You saw what happened when it all finally caught up with me. It isn't healthy for anyone to divide herself like that for long, and we'd been separate for a year by that point. And that youma had caught me when I was even further divided. It was about that time that two parts of me realized that we couldn't keep up this pace."

"That's why you decided to take a year off?"

"That, and because Beryl and the others are a threat to the people of this world. About ten days ago, we finally reintegrated, and there's only one of me again. I can't deal with those three _and_ manage a career, let alone _two_." Ranma gave her a pointed look.

Minako looked away. "You think I should back off my on career, don't you."

"Yes, since it would be irresponsible to back off on being Sailor V." Ranma turned the girl's head, so that she was looking at her. "You have a lot on your plate right now, my beautiful sailor suited Senshi..."

Minako smiled. "I love it when you call me that. You will come to my concert tomorrow, won't you sempai?" The girl asked winsomely.

"I wouldn't miss it."

"Great." Minako stood up, leaned forward, and placed a quick kiss on Ranma's lips. She turned, and where Minako had once stood, there stood Sailor V. With a quick look over her shoulder, the blonde-haired girl winked and blew Ranma a kiss. "See you tomorrow night, Knight-sama." The girl jumped off the roof.

Ranma absently touched her lips. _'She took that a lot better than I deserved.'_

'_It probably helps that we'd both been dancing around each other in alternate forms.'_

'_Are we done being serious now?'_

Ranma lay back, searching the darkening sky for the evening star. _'Yes, we're done.'_

'_Minako-chan is V-chan!'_

- + - + -

Several blocks away, Minako turned back and looked at the building where her world had been turned upside down. In a good way, of course, because now she didn't have to choose between her Sempai and Knight-sama, but it suddenly made her role a lot harder to play as well. Especially since he/she was also from the past life. Minako wondered who she had been.

'_I am really beginning to hate that past life,'_ Minako thought bitterly. _'This would be so much easier if I didn't have someone who cared about me.' _Minako jumped back down to street level, finding the bike she had abandoned was still there. Transforming back, she remounted the bicycle. _'Until the Princess is awake, I have to keep the eyes of the enemy looking for me, not her. It's a duty only I can fulfill.'_

Minako rode back towards the area where her car was waiting. She wanted everything to be perfect for her sempai tomorrow night.


	9. Chapter 9

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I own neither Ranma ½, nor PGSM. I don't own Mamono Hunter Yohko, for that matter. I certainly can't claim credit for the song below, though I can take credit for tweaking the translation I found here and there for better effect.

Chapter Nine – Touch My Heart

Ranma reclined in her room at the Hilton, looking at the long list in her hand. She simply couldn't believe that there were that many school-aged girls named Ami, or some derivative, in or around the immediate area of Azabu-Juuban. There was a total of thirty-four.

Ranma tapped the first name on the list, Mizuno Ami. The girl attended the Alto Seminar, _the _top rated juku for junior and high school students, which was in the building where the youma attack had occurred. She'd give good money that she was the blue-haired Senshi. Too bad the girls' appearance as Senshi probably didn't match their normal appearance, if Minako was any example.

Three out of four of princess Serenity's guardians had appeared, but there was no sign of the princess herself. If she was going to find the princess, it would be better to let her guardians do the groundwork. She did have to wonder why Minako seemed to be in no hurry to seek out her companions.

'_Maybe she doesn't know they are awake?'_

'_Could be.'_

Ranma grimaced, reluctant to talk to the girl on the subject. The last thing she wanted was for Minako to think she was using her to get close to the princess, though that was definitely a danger if events continued to follow the past life, and Ranma needed to intervene. She didn't want to Minako to have to choose between her and the Princess.

'_That is because you would lose. The Senshi were very devoted to their duty.'_

'_And for some reason, I get the feeling that Minako hasn't changed her priorities. That sucks.'_

'_Definitely. I just wish I knew why she was keeping her distance.' _Ranma was having no luck in tracking down Prince Endymion, either. She knew for a fact that there was no way any of _his_ guardians would be of any use right now. She'd only found one so far, and he was in service to Beryl. And it was probably against his will. Which meant that with her luck, the prince would find the princess before Ranma would find him, making it much harder to keep them apart.

And then there was Beryl. She was already a lost cause, and Ranma had no idea what to do about it. Not to mention that it had been over two weeks since the first youma attack, and Ranma had yet to take any kind of punitive action. Which was probably emboldening Beryl, if she had indeed been worried about her actions.

Absently, Ranma walked over to the sink and splashed herself. Taking out his cellphone, he dialed his apartment hunter. He circled the first name on the list as he waited for the woman to answer. "Yamada-san? Takeda Kappei. Thank you for all of your hard work. Yes, I've made my decision…"

- + - + -

Ranma looked through her closet uncertainly. _'What, exactly, does a twenty-eight year old woman wear to a fourteen year old teen idol's concert? Especially when you're dating her?'_

'_Fancy is right out. But you can't go too casual either.'_

'_Just don't try to fit into the crowd. You'll stand out enough as it is.'_

Ranma pulled out a dark blue knee length dress, and a matching jacket. _'What do you think?'_

'_I think that'll look good.'_

'_Yes. Definitely a winner.'_

She got dressed, giving a few twirls in the mirror to ensure that she looked good. Very faint makeup followed… just in case she needed to change back into a guy. A plan was beginning to form. _'If the prince's guardians have indeed been stolen by Beryl, then Endymion is going to end up very much alone. He would probably need a friend, a male friend, who remembers the past life. Especially if he has a connection to Sailor V. If I can pierce the veil of secrecy around the other Senshi…'_

'_There's a veil of secrecy? They're using their real names when transformed!'_

'_Which is really stupid, given that their transformations apparently alter their appearance significantly.'_

Ranma rolled her eyes. _'Which is why I need to contact them, using my Megumi identity. They're in desperate need of guidance. It will also form a connection between V-Chan and the others, if we need it.'_

'_That has the potential of bringing Serenity and Endymion together.'_

'_Not to mention endangering our relationship with Minako.'_

Finishing her preparations, she picked up the hotel phone by the door, and dialed the front desk. "Komban wa, this is Takeda Megumi. Would you please call me a cab?"

"Takeda-san, there's already a car waiting for you. Compliments of Aino Minako-san."

Ranma blinked. "There is? Thank you." She placed the receiver in its cradle, left the hotel room, and headed towards the elevator. _'Minako-chan is really going all out, isn't she?'_

'_You know, something just occurred to me.'_

'_What?'_

'_Have any of us actually _listened_ to Minako's music?'_

- + - + -

Ranma spent most of the ride to Minako's concert berating herself for that huge oversight. Which she had a lot of talent for, given that more than one version of herself was in her head at the moment. She'd known the girl for nearly a year, and not once had she thought of seeing what the hype was about.

'_You've been busy.'_

'_Busy having a breakdown, you mean.'_

Fortunately, the radio was tuned to a teen station, which played several of Minako's songs. The girl was good, but Ranma could tell that the studio wrote two of them, given that they were the standard energetic fare that dealt with subjects near and dear to the teen-aged heart. The third, "C'est la Vie," felt like Minako, though. She hoped that represented the majority of concert, but Ranma personally doubted it, at this stage of her career. The radio also played one Takeda Megumi song as well, "Touch My Heart," which had been released as a single three months earlier, in anticipation of the fourth Yohko movie.

When she arrived at the concert, they continued to give her the royal treatment. She entered through a side door, and was escorted personally to her seat. She smiled at the girls on either side of her seat, who were gaping at her. She spotted Minako peeking from the side of the stage, and turned her smile that way, but the girl had already vanished backstage.

It didn't take long for the concert to begin after that. The lights dim, the curtain raised, and the concert, designed specifically to appeal to teenagers, began. It was a loud, energetic, laser and pyrotechnic laden production, where Minako danced and sang, accompanied by a back up dancers. The musicians could be barely seen in the back.

It wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't Ranma's preferred style, which was far more intimate. And it continued that way for a good hour and a half, until all the lights on stage dimmed, except for the one on Minako. A second spotlight illuminated the right side of the stage, where a grand piano had been pushed, unnoticed, during the concert. Ranma started when the pianist began a very familiar melody.

She looked at Minako, who met her eyes as she began to croon Ranma's very first hit, "Anata ga ita Mori," the ending theme of the first Mamono Hunter Yohko movie.

_o/` __Deep inside the forest, there's a fragrance that I cherish__ o/`_

_o/` As I search through the everyday faces o/`_

_o/` Surprisingly, I'll find your smile o/`_

Minako reached out her hand, beckoning Ranma onto the stage and into the spotlight.

_o/` I wanted to touch you, I wanted to see you o/`_

_o/` But when I reached out, you vanished into the air o/`_

_o/` All this time, I have always wanted to be with you o/`_

_o/` Passing through these sleepless nights o/`_

_o/` Crying in the pain left by the lights and shadows of your passing o/`_

Eyes twinkling, the girl offered her sempai a second microphone. The music swelled as the rest of the band accompanied the second verse, and Ranma joined Minako in a duet.

_o/` In the evening, the setting sun burns my useless self o/`_

_o/` My feet treat the wreckage o/`_

_o/` Of love, seeping red o/`_

_o/` I reach out to try to touch your hand o/`_

_o/` As if it were held out, and your voice said o/`_

_o/` "I love you," Now the wind has swept away the unreachable song o/`_

_o/` Vanished into the distance. The hourglass in the sky o/`_

_o/` Flies past whatever is seen, anything. The sound of that day still echoes. o/`_

_o/` The views that cannot be touched a second time o/`_

_o/` Smoothly flow out o/`_

_o/` "Indelible" is the atmosphere of the past, the layers of memories, o/`_

_o/` Those hands and hair as well o/`_

_o/` I am overwhelmed by the lights and shadows of your passing o/`_

_o/` Deep inside the forest o/`_

As the lingering melody of the pianist wound down, Minako smiled at her impishly, a bundle of roses in her arms. To Ranma's confusion, Minako placed the roses into her arms, kissed her cheek, then stepped back with a bow, and began to applaud. The lights in the amphitheatre brightened, and the audience rose to their feet and began to applaud as well. Ranma just stared as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

'_Bow to Minako-chan.'_

Not having any better ideas at the moment, Ranma followed the instruction.

'_Now bow to the audience. Very good. Blow a few kisses to them.'_

This proceeded for quite some time. Fortunately, the lights on stage eventually dimmed again, allowing Ranma to withdraw gracefully before the others ran out of useful advice.

Author's Note: "Anata ga ita Mori" is, of course, the ending theme for the Fate/Stay Night anime, and is a hauntingly beautiful song. You can find the video of it on youtube dot com. "Touch My Heart" is a genuine Mamono Hunter Yohko ending theme, performed the same seiyuu who voiced Mizuno Ami in the anime, Hisakawa Aya.


	10. Chapter 10

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: If you don't know I don't own these series, then you haven't been paying attention.

Chapter Ten – Meeting the Neighbors

The Warlord pressed his attack, his sword flashing again and again in the direction of the slender girl in front of him. Yohko deflected each attack, narrowly averting disaster each time. After one particularly harried exchange, Yohko summoned an energy beam, directing it against her foe. The Warlord raised a clawed hand, blocking her attack with a shimmering barrier. Beam and barrier fought for several seconds, before both detonated in a flare of energy that sent both combatants flying.

Ranma flexed a sore shoulder as she stood up. "Oof… that was a good one. Director-san, I think a good, old-fashioned flash bang, about four seconds after I launch the 'energy beam,' will work better than a pure CGI effect."

Mousse shook his head as he stood up as well. "No, make it five. Four doesn't give the energy buildup enough time to detonate."

Ranma thought about it for a second. "You're right. Five seconds it is."

Off stage, director Sakata Junichi made another note as he and his stunt coordinator watched Takeda Megumi and Li Nyugen rewrite the climatic final battle between Yohko and the demonic Warlord, which they were going to try to do in one take. "I think we're going to need another camera man there, below that pillar. He's going to have to move fast to catch the action, though." Not hearing a reply, Junichi looked at the unfortunate man, who had a slightly glazed look in his eyes.

"How did they do that? They're not using wires…"

- + - + -

Later that afternoon, Mousse wearily stumbled towards his trailer. "Megumi, whose bright idea was it to use stealth ki attacks as part of the stunts?"

Ranma smiled impishly at him as she walked far more energetically along side him than should be humanly possible. "Yours."

"That's right. I must've been an idiot."

"It'll make the ending that much better, though."

"For somebody who allegedly had a breakdown, you're in surprisingly great shape."

Ranma grimaced. "It wasn't that kind of breakdown."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say that I don't recommend instant spring of drowned twin as a solution to time management problems."

- + - + -

'_We're late.'_

'_I know,'_ Ranma thought as he hurried across a skyway in Azabu-Juuban. _'But I think it'll work better this way. It might look a little weird if we loitered outside the Alto Seminar. Especially as a guy.'_

'_True. You'd be labeled a chikan or something. Get hauled off by the police for stalking a young girl...'_

'_But we are stalking a young girl, who just happens to be one of the Sailor Senshi. Maybe.' _Ranma corrected. Ranma spotted an ATM near the most likely route Mizuno Ami was to take on the way home, and stood in line for the machine. He was still in line when he spotted a conservatively dressed young lady riding down the escalator, talking with one of the instructors of the seminar. The long-haired girl suddenly looked towards the ATM. _'That's her, all right.'_

'_Don't follow right away. Get your money first.'_

'_I know that,'_ Ranma thought irritably.

- + - + -

Mizuno Ami nervously played with her glasses as she glanced around the subway car. Ever since she'd left her juku, she'd had the uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched. This late in the evening, the car wasn't too full, but there was just enough people around to make her feel safe.

'_What is causing this?' _Ami thought, as she got off at her stop. _'Could this be what a youma feels like? I expected something more… disturbing.'_

She was halfway home when she spotted a familiar outfit reflected in a darkened storefront mirror. _'He's following me! I think I first saw him outside the Alto seminar.'_ She felt her heart begin to pound in her chest as she franticly thought of what she should do. _'Do I transform? Call Tsukino-san? Call the police?' _For a second she pictured herself actually calling the police, before reason set in again. _'Calm down. Make sure he's actually following you. There's a bakery just up ahead. It would be natural to buy some sandwiches for tomorrow's bento.'_

The old proprietor greeted her as she walked in, asking if she wanted her usual. During the transaction, the man walked right on by. _'Okay, I guess I'm just a bit jumpy. It was just a coincidence. He wasn't following me.'_

Feeling much safer, Ami continued home, only to find the man loitering outside of her apartment building. _'He knows where I live! What am I going to do?'_ The man turned slightly as he closed the door of one of the mailboxes by the front entrance. He unlocked the door and entered the building. _'He lives in the same building. It was just a coincidence. Relax, Ami. Calm down… calm down.'_

Still feeling a little bit jittery, checked her mailbox before entering her apartment building. She was approaching the elevators, when suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed the edge of the closing door of one of them. She screamed.

A handsome face peeked out from the elevator. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I only saw you at the last minute. The other elevator is near the top, and I didn't think it would be fair to you to wait for both to come back down."

Clutching her chest, Ami wheezed, "Arigatou," and stepped nervously into the elevator.

The man gave a short bow. "I'm Takeda Kappei. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," Ami returned, bowing. "I'm Mizuno Ami." She moved to press the button for her floor, only to find it had already been pressed. Ami found the ride up almost unbearably tense, especially since the man was scowling at the mail he was sorting. Gathering up her courage, Ami asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no. It's just that we moved in three days ago, and we're already getting junk mail."

"I see." She was spared from making a further reply when the elevator stopped at her floor. The two entered the corridor together, and they almost collided when they tried to cross to the other side. With a gentlemanly bow, he indicated that she should go first. He stopped at the first apartment on the left, unlocked the door, and with a nod to her entered. She proceeded to the first one on the right, unlocked her own door, entered… and fled to her room until she calmed down enough to call Luna and ask whether paranoia was normal.

- + - + -

Ranma managed to make it to the living room before he broke down in helpless laughter.

'_You are a bad, bad man.'_

'_Did you see the expression on her face when I stopped the elevator doors from closing?' _Ranma plopped down on the newly delivered sofa, which had a great view of Prince Arisagawa Park. _'If we had had to go any farther, she probably would've transformed and attacked me!'_

'_That girl's definitely been in situations where someone was trying to attack her before. Every time you directed aggressive ki towards her, she reacted. Normal people don't develop those kinds of instincts.'_

'_She's the blue-haired Senshi, alright.'_ Ranma confirmed. _'Not very many people have that much power, either. And she's practically untrained in its use.'_

Ranma, having regained control of his laughter, took another look around the posh apartment he was renting. Besides a sizable living room, it had three bedrooms, a study, a kitchen, a dining area, and two bathrooms, the master bathroom with its own furo. It was bigger than most houses, and it was a corner apartment, too.

_'This is way more expensive than we need.'_

Ranma stepped into the kitchen, and splashed himself with cold water. _'True. But the cost is nothing compared to the advantage of living right next door to one of the Senshi.'_ Ranma walked into Megumi's bedroom. It was one of the flaws in Ranma's thinking that the apartment hunter had pointed, the idea that Megumi and Kappei would share a bedroom. They were both adults, after all. _'I wonder what she thought about that slip up. Anyways, tomorrow morning it'll be time to introduce the young lady to Takeda Megumi, and see if any of her other classmates are also Senshi.'_ Ranma thought, pulling out, and rejecting, several articles of clothing.

'_Don't forget you have a couple of scenes to reshoot with Mousse, early tomorrow morning.'_

Ranma glanced at the clock, doing some mental calculations in her head. _'There's not enough time in the morning, damn it, to follow her to school. And I can't ditch the shoot. Director-san has been far more tolerant of my quirks these last three weeks than I really deserve.'_

'_Don't forget you still need to do something about Beryl. And you need to do it soon.'_

'_Don't remind me.' _Ranma walked onto the balcony, and stared at Tokyo Tower, off in the distance to her left. _'Finding out who the rest of the Senshi are will have to wait. We need to revisit Beryl's Dark Kingdom as soon as we can.'_

'_And how are we going to do that? It's not like we can take a week off to go hiking in the mountains anytime soon.'_

'_I'll find a way. Somehow.' _She walked back into her apartment, and back to her bedroom. _'How much longer until we can devote our whole time to this mess?'_ She began changing into some pajamas.

'_Three weeks.'_

Ranma plopped into bed, trying to ignore the "new" smell of her unused bed. It would take twice as long to get both her beds looking, feeling, and smelling, like someone slept in them regularly each night. _'It's going to be a long three weeks.'_

- + - + -

Artemis paced back and forth across the foot of his charge's bed. "Minako-chan, are you sure you want to do this?"

The girl in question pulled her sheets closer about her neck. "Hai, Artemis. It… it doesn't feel right, keeping this from sempai. He deserves to know."

"And what will you do, when she disagrees with your plans?"

Minako yawned. "He won't, you silly cat. You'll see. G'Night."

Artemis settled down on the foot of her bed, watching her drift into sleep. "Minako-chan," he said quietly, " _I_ don't agree with your plans."


	11. Chapter 11

Spoiled Brats

Acknowledgements: My thanks to everyone who has left a review so far. Knowing you're enjoying what I'm writing really helps keep the momentum going. I'm almost half way through the challenge! But I get the feeling that the story will last a bit longer than that.

Chapter Eleven – Return to the Dark Kingdom

Mousse adjusted his glasses as he looked at the black haired woman standing beside him. "Ranma, you are insane."

"Of course I am. But it's the only thing I could think of."

"I can't believe you managed to get the director to give us the day off! How exactly did you persuade him to do it?"

"I took him to the old quarry and showed him the Kinjakan in action. Poor guy suffered a serious reality shift. But at least it worked. I'm more worried about my stylist's reaction."

"Huh?"

"Dying my hair its natural color, and then back to auburn, in a day? I'll never hear the end of it." Seeing Mousse's expression, Ranma added, "Split ends."

The pilot looked back and said, "Two minutes."

"I wish I could go with you."

Ranma shook her head. "I need you back Asahikawa, if this is going to work. I'll see you back at airport in a few hours," Ranma said as she opened the side door. "And hope to the kami that I don't need your help when I get back. Beryl makes Saffron look like a lightweight." At the pilot's signal, Ranma jumped.

Mousse waited until he saw the chute open before he closed the door again. "And to think I used to envy him."

- + - + -

Ranma released her harness ten meters above the ground, her legs easily absorbing her momentum. As she stood, she took out her GPS unit. _'Good. Just a short hike up to the entrance to the Dark Kingdom.'_

Half an hour later, she was deep under ground, in search of her prey. She really hated to do this to the poor guy. After all, she doubted it was truly his idea to serve Beryl, but it didn't take long to tell that she wouldn't be able to take Beryl head on anymore, this close to Metaria. So she would have to send a message to the woman, using Jadeite. Too bad part of the message included being beaten to a bloody pulp.

'_What was that?' _Ranma listened for a few moments, trying to pick up the faint sound over the dripping water and the echoes of Metaria's slumber. _'That is definitely the sound of someone playing the piano.'_

Ranma followed the sounds to a shadowy illusion of a ballroom, where a white-haired pianist played a haunting tune. She listened for a few minutes, silently listening to the music as she waited for him to notice her. '_He is either oblivious to my presence, or he senses that I'm not a threat to him right now.'_ She quietly closed the distance between them, asking, "Do you take requests?"

The man spared her a glance. "Ah, the lady speaks. And I certainly take requests, especially since I get so few of them."

Ranma smiled as she leaned against the piano. "How about Arigatou, by Kokia."

"I'm afraid I don't know that one."

"Pity. Dare I ask if you know anything written in the last 20 years?"

The man effortlessly bridged into the next melody. "Probably not. I doubt you came all this way to discuss music. You must be the woman from before. Zoisite, at your service."

'_Sorry, buddy, but you're trying to charm the wrong girl.' _"Don't be so quick to offer it. You already serve Beryl, after all."

"Not exactly."

'_Then what the hell are you doing down here?'_ Ranma thought, puzzled. "Not exactly?"

"I am bound by her, but I will not serve her." The man glanced at Ranma again. "I'm surprised you haven't returned before."

Ranma turned to face the pianist, leaning forward a bit. "Well, finding Serenity's guardians was a higher priority for me at the time. It took a little longer than I expected, or I would've returned before now."

The man frowned. "So you're one of Serenity's, then?"

"I'm on the side of the people of the Earth, which means I'm not on the side of Serenity, Endymion, or Beryl." She looked intently at Zoisite. "And if you will not serve Beryl, why are you here, tickling the ivories?"

"For now, Beryl has Jadeite and Nephrite in her thrall." He explained as he played. "I cannot abandon them, even if I could break Beryl's hold over me. And for better or worse, Beryl has resources I need, if I am to find the Master. I need to find him and awaken him, lest the witch seduce him once again."

Ranma cocked her head, sure she hadn't heard right. "Who do what now?"

"Serenity. She was the one who seduced him away from his duty, who destroyed everything the Master loved."

Ranma snorted. "Please, is that what Beryl told you?"

"Why else would the Master turn away from his duty?"

"Sheer selfishness. Endymion thought he was in love, and that was far more important than the people he had sworn to protect."

"Because she seduced him!"

"Do you honestly think that _child_ would be able to seduce anyone?" Ranma stepped away from the piano in disgust. "Endymion abandoned his duty because he cared about himself, first and foremost. He was a selfish, spoiled brat, who gave no thought to everyone else. Had he had any sense of duty at all, he would've sent her packing back to the Moon the first time she snuck down to the Earth to see him."

Zoisite stopped playing. "She was the one who lured the Master away from his duty!"

"She had neither the experience nor the… talent… to seduce a man. Endymion was a man, full grown. She was a child in love," Ranma sighed wistfully when she said that, her hand on her cheek. Ranma looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes hard. "What the hell was his excuse? Endymion betrayed everyone, including you, out of a fantasy of love. He isn't worthy of anyone's loyalty. Especially not yours."

The man stood angrily, drawing his sword. "I will not listen to such talk about the Master!" He swung at Ranma.

Her own sword effortlessly blocked the blow. "The Master betrayed us all! You're just too stupid to realize that."

Zoisite's stare moved from the sword that had blocked his strike, to the woman before him. "Kunzite?"

Ranma smirked, stepping back.

"You're a woman? How?"

Still smirking, Ranma said, "Go back to your piano, Zoisite. If you're truly serious about protecting the Master, make him see where his duty is this time. Rub his nose in it, spank him if you have to. Just keep him away from Serenity, now that I know killing them all is no longer an option."

Ranma turned, and began walking away. "Oh, one more thing," she said over her shoulder. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to administer Beryl's penalty to Jadeite. You might be able to take advantage of his immanent indisposition."

"Nephrite would be the better choice for such a… penalty."

Ranma turned and bowed. "Then I shall be guided by you. Until next time." She turned once again towards the door.

"Beryl thinks you're still safely asleep."

Ranma paused in the doorway. "Then she's a bigger fool than I thought. I've been awake for over ten years."

"Sooner or later, she'll gather the courage to summon you too."

Ranma looked back over her shoulder. "Then it will be a very bad day for her, wouldn't you say? She'll be expecting someone weak, confused, and powerless." Ranma smirked. "Instead she'll get me. Good luck." Zoisite watched as she turned and left the room.

As Ranma strode deeper into the Dark Kingdom, the melody resumed behind her.

- + - + -

Mousse had barely stepped into the lounge Ranma had rented when the air shimmered. Ranma appeared, collapsing to her knees a few seconds later. He rushed forward, offering her his ki, just as she had requested. She gratefully accepted it for a few seconds, before wearily climbing to her feet. "Are you okay, Ranma?" From what Mousse could tell, Ranma wasn't badly injured, though she had obviously been in some kind of fight. But he couldn't think of anything short of Ninomiya Hinako that could tire the woman out like that.

"I'm fine, Mousse, just tired. Teleporting farther than a few kilometers is really tiring."

"I wouldn't know. Normal people can't teleport at all. And keep in mind I'm hardly what you'd call normal. How did it go?"

"The message has been delivered successfully. For all the good it may do. I shouldn't have waited this long. In fact, I think I should've just killed Beryl when I had a chance, then hunted the other two down and killed them as well." Ranma plopped down into a chair.

"Killing is a rather permanent solution, Ranma."

"Ironically, in their case, it's actually just a temporary solution. We were all reborn from the past life, after all. It will happen again if we don't fix the source of the problem."

"Which is?"

"I wish I knew, Mousse. I wish I knew. I have the general picture of what happened the first time, but the details continue to elude me. Let's get to the airport, and back to Tokyo. I can catch a nap on the plane."

- + - + -

"Honestly, Megumi-chan, why do you do this to yourself?"

"Its just hair, Sakura-san." Ranma said apologetically, still intimidated by the older woman after all these years, despite herself.

Ranma's hairstylist massaged her scalp as she worked the conditioner in. "It's obvious that _you_ are still a tomboy, Megumi-chan. So… give me the dish on Li-san. The two of you vanish to some romantic destination, disguised so that you wouldn't be recognized…"

"It wasn't like that, Sakura-san. There was something I needed to take care of in Hokkaido, and I asked Nyu-chan to help me with it."

"Right… the two of you are that familiar, and you expect me to believe there's nothing going on?"

"He's an old friend, from when we were kids. That's all."

"Right…"

A polite cough distracted them both from the subject of the conversation. In the mirror, Ranma could see the director nervously standing at the door. "Is there a problem, Director-san?"

"Ah… no, Takeda-san." Sakata Junichi stared at the long, thin case on the floor beside her chair, fully aware of what it contained. "I just… I just wanted to know how it went in Hokkaido."

"It went fine. A bit cold at this time of year, but I accomplished everything I intended to do there."

"That's good. I just wanted you to know that these productions rarely complete on time, so if you need some time off, just let me know." He smiled. "Just don't abuse it."

"Arigatou. There is something I've been meaning to look into for a while now, so I might be a little late coming in tomorrow."

"That will be fine. Oh, something came in, care of the studio, for you yesterday." He handed her an envelope. "Here."

Ranma opened up the envelope, and pulled out an engraved invitation. _'Do I know a Zaibetsu Sakurabi? And why would she invite me to her birthday party?'_ Ranma stared at the invitation for a few seconds, before asking, "Director-san, do you know who this is?"

"Yes. She's the heir to the Zaibetsu financial group, and is distantly related to the Imperial family. She's also presenting one of her family's heirlooms, a supposedly mystical blue crystal, for display to the public at the party." Ranma perked up at that. "Why?"

"I'm just not accustomed to getting invitations from strangers." She tapped her chin with the invitation thoughtfully. "I think I'm going to accept. It says here that it is a… Halloween party. Do you know what that is?"

"It's a Western tradition. On October 31st, people in the West dress up in costumes for some obscure religious reason. It's starting to catch on here."

'_I'm willing to bet that the party will be targeted by Beryl. I had better be there.' _Ranma smiled impishly. "Director-san. Would it be inappropriate for me to ask the costuming department for help with designing my costume for Friday?"

- + - + -

Ranma returned to her apartment building to find a familiar car parked in front of it. As she approached, the door opened, and Minako stepped out. The girl looked miserable. "Minako-chan? What's wrong?"

The girl hugged her stuffed toy cat tighter. After drawing in a shuddering breath, the brunette said, "Sempai… we need to talk."


	12. Chapter 12

Spoiled Brats

Author's Note: A few people have expressed reservations about the relationship between Minako and Ranma. I don't blame them, because in real life I would probably have reservations about the age gap as well… unless I actually knew the people involved.

Part of the problem is that adulthood is a difficult thing to define. For most of human history, the dividing line between childhood and adulthood was puberty. Females achieve full physical maturity around age 16, males around 18. I'm also under the impression that a gap between reproductive maturity and physical maturity is pretty much a recent phenomenon, thanks to our modern diets and medicine.

And then there's the legal definition of adulthood, which is often defined by a span of years. Many cultures place it at around the age of fourteen. In the Middle Ages, it was _seven_. Modern developed nations place the legal age of adulthood in the 18-21 range.

And then there is the concept of psychological adulthood. There's a reason why the phrase "tried as an adult" keeps coming up. I've known teenagers who have been functioning as an adult for years, while some people in their twenties I wouldn't trust giving responsibility for a dog… let alone the responsibilities of adulthood.

And now that I've said my piece, one with the show!

Chapter 12 – Crossroads

Ranma felt her heart clench as she looked at the young woman before her. _'Minako-chan? What's wrong?' _"Alright, Minako-chan. Let's go upstairs."

"Arigatou." Minako turned to her driver and said, "There's no need to wait."

Ranma frowned. "Maybe not in two or three years, Minako-chan, but right now there is."

"The age of consent is fourteen, Takeda-san," the driver said discretely.

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it part of your job to protect her from stuff like that?"

"It is, Takeda-san. But I see no one here that she needs protecting from." The driver started up the car. "I'll be here at seven tomorrow morning, Minako-san."

Ranma counted to ten before she spoke again. "Minako, I want you to know that you're putting me in a very uncomfortable position right now. I promised myself that I'd wait until you were at least sixteen before you spent the night over, for _any_ reason."

Minako looked down at the stuffed toy she was holding. "Gomen nasai. That's part of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Come on, Minako. We'll talk when we get to my apartment."

"Hai."

- + - + -

"Wow! This place is huge! And that view!" Minako rushed out onto the balcony. "I can see Tokyo Tower from here! This place must have cost a fortune."

Ranma filled a teapot from the hot water spigot on the stove. "You are not deflecting me that easily, young lady." She put in a teabag, and grabbed two cups. "Now come here, and say what you need to say," she said, sitting down on the coach and patting the seat beside her. She poured them both a cup of tea.

"Hai." She nervously sat down, still holding the white stuffed cat, completely ignoring the cup on the coffee table in front of her. The girl tried to speak to her several times, before flushing and looking away again. "Could you…" Minako kind of waved at her head.

Sighing, Ranma splashed herself with her tea, not wanting to drag this out any farther. He was about to speak when he saw the toy staring at him in shock. "Minako, that's not a toy, is it?"

The brunette shook her head. "No, this is Artemis, my advisor." She set the toy down. "Artemis, this is my sempai and boyfriend, Saotome Ranma."

The stuffed cat stared at the man. "Nice to meet you, Saotome-san. At least the last week now makes a lot more sense."

"Nice to meet you too, Artemis. And please call me Ranma." Ranma turned to Minako and said. "And you've managed to deflect me again."

"I'm sorry. It's just… there's so much I need to say, I don't know where to start."

"Just start at the beginning."

"Hai." Minako gnawed on her lower lip for a few seconds, before she closed her eyes and began to sing.

_o/` C'est la vie watashi ga watashi de iru kagiri o/`_

_o/` C'est la vie anata o aishi tsudzuketai o/`_

_o/` C'est la vie watashi ga watashi de aru riyuu o/`_

_o/` C'est la vie anata ga anata de aru riyuu o/`_

Ranma fought off his impatience when he saw Artemis' eyes go wide. Instead, he just listened as she repeated herself, her pronunciation of the French phrase taking on a heavy Japanese accent.

_o/` See raa bii watashi ga watashi de iru kagiri o/`_

_o/` See raa bii anata o aishi tsudzuketai o/`_

_o/` See raa bii watashi ga watashi de aru riyuu o/`_

_o/` See raa bii anata ga anata de aru riyuu o/`_

Her pronunciation of the French phrase changed a third time, a pronunciation that caused Ranma to pale.

_o/` Sailor V watashi ga watashi de iru kagiri o/`_

_o/` Sailor V anata o aishi tsudzuketai o/`_

_o/` Sailor V watashi ga watashi de aru riyuu o/`_

_o/` Sailor V anata ga anata de aru riyuu o/`_

It took every ounce of self-control for Ranma not to grab her by the shoulders, shake her, and scream, "Are you out of your mind?" He simply closed his eyes, counted to ten, and took a page from Minako's book. "Explain."

"The Princess isn't awake yet. Until she awakes, she's vulnerable. But with the enemy looking for her, there needs to be a decoy to lure the enemy away from her. I'm that decoy. It's why I can't back off on my career or being Sailor V. The enemy needs to make the connection between me, Sailor V, and the Princess. Eventually they will, then I'll run, and they'll pursue."

"Minako, that is a very good way to get yourself killed."

"I know."

"She isn't worth it, Minako. You have the rest of your life ahead of you. There's no need to throw it away like that."

"That's just it, Ranma. I'm dying. The doctors say I have at best less than a year to live."

- + - + -

Minako watched worriedly as Ranma stood up, angrily strode out onto the balcony, and grabbed the railing. "Ranma?" She timidly followed after him. "I'm sorry, I should've told you before…"

"It's not that, Minako-chan. And it's not you." He turned to look at her, and she saw that unshed tears were in his eyes. "It's just… I hope you don't mind if I get a second opinion?"

"I've already gotten a second one. And the studio insisted on a third and fourth as well. There's nothing they can do."

Ranma produced his cell phone, and began dialing. "Ordinary doctors, perhaps, but I know some talented healers." He waited for the other end to pick up, before saying, "I'm sorry to call this late, Doc, but it's a bit of an emergency. Are you at the clinic right now? Great. I'll see you in a minute. Thanks a million."

"He lives nearby?"

Ranma smiled for the first time this evening. "Not exactly."

- + - + -

Ranma ignored the steaming cup of soup in his hand as he wearily watched the office door. He also ignored Kasumi's comforting arm around his shoulders. Far too soon for his comfort, Ono Toufuu emerged from the room, a somber Minako, carrying an equally somber Artemis, right behind him. "I'm sorry, Ranma, there's nothing I can do."

"What? But you've…"

"My art focuses upon bolstering the body's own ability to heal itself, and it works best with individuals, like yourself, who have extraordinary healing abilities. Cancer isn't an injury or a disease. In fact, it's more like the body's repair mechanism going haywire. Standard treatment has always been excising the tumor, and given its location in her brain, I don't blame the young lady for deciding to make the most out of what little time she has left."

"But if she did have the surgery, you could improve her odds of a complete recovery…"

Minako shook her head. "The doctors said it would take at least a year of physical therapy and chemo-therapy before I recover, even in a best case scenario. Even halving my recovery time leaves me unable to do my duty for far too long. Given the situation, I can't step away from my duty for that long, especially with such low odds at success."

"What about magic, then?"

Toufuu shook his head. "Most healing magic works the same way. There are some artifacts that were rumored to have the power to go beyond that, but I have no clue where to find them. And they're likely to be closely guarded even if we knew where they were."

"Jusendo?"

"Do the Amazons, Musk, and Mount Phoenix ring a bell? You're not a popular person there."

Ranma glowered darkly. "I can take care them if they get in my way. Would it work?"

Toufuu sighed. "Ranma, violence doesn't solve everything."

"True. But it is ideally suited to solve quite a few problems in that area."

"Kasumi, you're not helping."

"Doc," Ranma said insistently, "Would-It-Work?"

"I don't know. Jusenkyou originally had healing properties, but I have no idea whether or not it is intrinsic to the water, to the valley, or a combination of the two. And don't forget that you _might_ be able to survive having an entire region trying to kill you, but you'd have to bring _her_ there as well. Could you protect both you _and_ her?"

Ranma saw Artemis' eyes widen. "The Maboroshi no Ginzuishou!"

Minako stared at her advisor. "Artemis!"

"Minako-chan! The Ginzuishou could heal you!" The stuffed toy buried himself in Minako's chest, bawling. "You don't have to die!"

Minako rushed into Ranma's arms, crying in relief. Ranma was crying as well, but it wasn't out of relief. There was a fatal flaw to the plan, and he didn't want to mention it. _'The Ginzuishou… its power should not be used on this world. I know that now. I don't know how, but that accursed thing could wake up Metaria again.'_ He looked at the girl in his arms. _'But we don't, Minako-chan will die.'_ Ranma's expression hardened. _'No… no, there's no guarantee that the Ginzuishou will wake up Metaria. Not with the little bit of power we need to save Minako-chan's life. It won't happen again! I won't let it!'_

_- + - + -_

Unnoticed, a tiny voice at the back of Ranma's mind raged, _'That's probably EXACTLY how Endymion and Serenity rationalized their relationship the first time! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?'_

_'He's not… at least not of anyone beyond the girl he loves. I think we may have been a bit too hard on the Prince and Princess.'_ The second, quieter, voice mused sympathetically. _'It's one thing to say love should be sacrificed for duty, another to actually do it.'_

_'Sayonara, Ranma. Take care of Minako-chan.'_

Author's Note: The nature of Minako's illness is never mentioned in PGSM, but in my inexpert opinion, a brain tumor would explain her symptoms and her reluctance to seek treatment with benefits that are dubious at best.


	13. Chapter 13

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: Thinking up interesting disclaimers is hard sometimes. :(

Chapter Thirteen – A New Path

Ranma awoke to find herself back in her apartment; a warm body snuggled up beside her. _'What the hell?'_ She looked at her shoulder at the disheveled head of brown hair resting there. _'Minako-chan?'_

A male voice at the foot of her bed attracted her attention. "Ah, you're awake." Ranma looked down and saw a white stuffed toy looking at her.

'_And talking to her. I can't forget the talking.'_ "Good morning, Artemis. Why is…"

"You collapsed when you teleported us back to the apartment." The plush cat frowned at her. "Don't do that again, you scared Minako-chan pretty badly."

"Sorry. I thought I could handle two teleports in a row."

"Anyway, Minako-chan refused to leave your side after that."

"I see. But why am…"

"Your male side is heavy, and it didn't occur to her to change into Sailor V to move you to the bedroom."

"Okay. And why are …"

"I'd rather not speculate."

Minako shifted slightly in her sleep, and Ranma used the opportunity to slip out of bed, slip on a robe, and take herself and Artemis out of the room. Artemis watched as the auburn haired woman placed him on the dining room table and collapsed into a chair, pillowing her head on her crossed arms on the table. "Why does she have to be fourteen? She's trying to take things way too fast."

"Ranma, until eight hours ago, she was resigned to not living past fifteen. If the youma didn't kill her, then the cancer surely would. She's not your typical fourteen year old." Artemis looked her in the eye. "And the youma killing either or both of you remains a definite possibility. She has an adult's burden, and she has an adult's sense of responsibility. I think you can treat her like an adult in this area too."

Ranma grimaced. "I'll keep that in mind, but I still find it a little uncomfortable. What do her parents think of all this?"

"Ranma, it's for the best not to mention Minako's parents to her. There's a reason why she adopted the name Aino."

"Right." She cocked her head at Artemis. "Does her manager know?"

"Of course he does. So does the rest of his staff. One of the advantages of not being human is that people feel free to speak in front of me. When they realized that she had feelings for her 'sempai,' they decided to support her all the way… including for covering for you if your relationship turned out to be illegal."

"What about her being Sailor V?"

"It's a secret identity for a reason."

"Is it really? A secret, I mean. She's been broadcasting it as badly as the other Senshi, and she's doing it intentionally."

Artemis blinked. "You know about the other Senshi?"

"There are two other Senshi who are active right now. And they've been so casual about their identities that I've managed to identify one of them. I mean to speak with them about it in the near future."

"Ah. Do you really think she should tell her manager about being Sailor V?"

"I told my director about my extra-curricular activities recently, and believe me he was very accommodating. It's a relief not to have that over my head anymore."

"Do you really think so, sempai?" Minako asked from behind her.

'_Please let her have put on the other robe.' _Ranma looked over her shoulder at the girl, who was indeed wearing the other robe. "Good morning, Minako-chan, and I think it would be a good idea. Finding your Princess and the Ginzuishou is our top priority right now, and not having to make excuses to your manager will be one less source of stress in your life." Ranma glanced at the clock. "Now, you go take a shower and get dressed, we need to finish that talk from last night."

Ranma watched the girl head for bathroom as she absently stripped off her robe. She turned to Artemis and asked, "Is she always that casual around you?"

"You have no idea," Artemis moaned.

- + - + -

Minako dug enthusiastically into her bowl of cereal. "Kunzite? Artemis, does that ring a bell?"

"It does. Ranma was the head of Prince Endymion's guardians, the Shitennou, just as Sailor Venus was the head of the Sailor Senshi."

"Ex-head, actually. I no longer serve the bastard." Ranma was surprised by how little venom she said that with. "So is Sailor Venus active yet? We should…" Ranma got up from the table, and grabbed one of the CDs by the entertainment center. She held up the one of Minako's albums, labeled "Venus."

Minako blushed prettily. "I actually came up with the name _before_ Artemis contacted me. Are you as much a fan of my Princess as I am of your Prince?"

"I'm not a fan of either of them, but if she can save your life, she'll have my gratitude." She smiled at Minako. "At least I'm starting to understand what drove those two to do what they did. I'm just not ready to forgive them yet. So what are your immediate plans?"

"Pretty much continue as I've been going. The basic situation hasn't changed. I still need to decoy the enemy while the other Senshi find the Princess." She noticed Ranma's expression. "The groundwork's already been laid, and I couldn't take it back if I wanted to, which I don't. But don't worry; I'm not going to use the second half of my plan anymore. You?"

"My immediate plans are to contact the rest of your Senshi." Ranma smiled impishly at Minako. "I'm afraid you're going to have some competition for your Megumi-sempai's attention. More importantly, I need to find some way of getting the rest of the Shitennou out from under Beryl's thumb. I may have an ally in that with Zoisite… but it would require me making peace with the Master. And that'll probably require making peace with your Princess as well."

Minako sighed. "You make it sound like you think we shouldn't keep the Princess and Endymion apart."

"Trying to separate them didn't work out so well last time, did it?"

"No, it didn't."

"Beryl is the real enemy. As long as she's near Metaria, we can't touch her. Without the Shitennou, she'd have to do her own dirty work, and then she'd be vulnerable. And we can't rescue them when we're divided…" Ranma trailed off when she looked at the clock. "Sheesh, it's that time already? You'd better finish getting ready. Your ride arrives in twenty minutes."

- + - + -

Mizuno Ami received a surprise when she left her apartment in morning. Coming out of the apartment across the hall was Aino Minako. Accompanying her was a casually dressed older woman, who had a long duffle bag slung over her shoulder. It took every ounce of self-control not act like Tsukino-san would: squeal and ask for the girl's autograph.

The woman smiled at her and said, "Ah, you must be our neighbor, Mizuno Ami. It's nice to meet you. I'm Takeda Megumi. This is my friend, Aino Minako."

Ami bowed shyly and said, "Good morning. I'm Mizuno Ami. Nice to meet you."

The three walked towards the elevator. "Is your school far, Mizuno-san?" Takeda-san asked curiously.

"No. I just like to visit the library before school."

Ami once again found herself in an uncomfortable elevator ride, this time because she really wanted to ask Aino-san for her autograph, but she didn't want to be rude. It became even worse when Takeda-san leaned over and whispered, "It's alright to ask for her autograph, you know. It would even be rude not to, if you're a fan."

And so the last page of her notebook was the proud recipient of an autograph by Aino Minako. And the next to last page of her notebook received one for Tsukino-san. That was what friends did for each other, after all.

- + - + -

Ranma blessed her luck this morning as she jogged around Prince Arisagawa Park, at a pace designed to bring her close to the library when the civilian guise of the blue-haired Senshi would leave for school. She hadn't been expecting the girl to leave so early, but at least she was already dressed for the pursuit. Unfortunately, when Ranma had got there, there was no sign of the girl.

'_Wonderful. She must've left earlier than I expected. Okay, let's see if I can intercept the girl.'_ She jogged towards the school along the most likely route, but still no sign of the girl. She was just about turn around and take a second route back to the library, when she spotted the Mizuno girl walking to school, coming from the east.

'_Why is she coming from that way? The library is to the south.' _That's when a girl from her school with twin pony tails came running up behind her, hugging Ami, before chattering away at her, all the while walking backwards. Ami reached into her book bag, and pulled out a piece of paper. _'Based on the girl's reaction,' _Ranma mused as the girl began bouncing around like an over-caffinated rabbit, _'She must be Tsukino Usagi. Aptly named, I see.'_

Ranma jogged towards the overhead walkway the girls were walking across. She nodded pleasantly to Mizuno as she passed, who waved timidly in return. _'It's official. Tsukino Usagi is the other Senshi. She even looks a bit like her Senshi form, unlike Minako and Mizuno. I better get my ass over to the studio.'_

Thanks to a teleport halfway there, Ranma was only half an hour late for the shoot.

- + - + -

Ranma tried an experiment on the way back to Juuban Junior High School that afternoon. She tried to make several shorter teleports in a row, but quickly found that multiple short teleports was even more tiring than one long one. Ranma smiled as she spotted the two Senshi walking towards the East. _'If Mizuno was going straight home, she'd be going south. So are you just seeing your friend off, like this morning, are you going to your juku, or are you going somewhere else?'_

Ranma followed the two girls to Crown Karaoke, where they were apparently such regular customers, that they had a pass. Her long hair safely under a hat, and wearing a plain pair of glasses, Ranma entered behind the girls, asking the cashier if they had rooms for large parties. Out of the corner of her eye, Ranma watched the girls enter one of the karaoke booths. Moments later, the door vanished. _'Isn't that interesting. It seems the girls have access to more resources than Minako-chan does.'_

_- + - + -_

That night, Ranma decided to a little breaking and entering. The front lock easily yielded to Ranma's power, and there was fortunately no alarm. Ranma could sense the cashier from this afternoon in an upstairs apartment.

Silently, Ranma made her way to where she had seen the vanishing door. She couldn't sense a thing. She entered the karaoke booths on either side, pacing out their lengths. It didn't surprise her in the least to find there was no room at all for any kind of secret room or stairway between the two. _'Either one of the two girls is very skilled, or there's a third party that has access to more power than she should.' _Ranma tapped her chin thoughtfully. _'It's probably the latter. So why don't they train those two girls properly?'_

Ranma summoned her power one last time, trying to force the room to appear. It didn't work. _'I'll have to talk to Artemis when I get a chance. I need to get their attention, and there's nothing better than surprising them in their inner sanctum.'_

Author's Note: There is a shocking amount of tragedy in the Senshi's home life. Several orphans, one all but orphaned, one with divorced parents… only two them have a stable home life: Usagi and Minako. And in PGSM, Minako seems to be as much on her own as Makoto. I assume there's a reason for it. But I'm going to take Artemis' advice, and not bring the subject up. ^_-


	14. Chapter 14

Spoiled Brats

Author's Note: If any of you are curious about how fast this story is progressing through the plot of PGSM, this story takes place in Act Four. Act One was in chapter three, and Act Two was in chapter six. Act Three took place between chapters eight and nine, but Ranma missed what was happening completely. He was rather busy at the time.

Chapter Fourteen – Halloween Hijinks

Mizuno Ami glanced at her watch as she waited for her friend to show up. Tsukino-san was late. That wasn't at all unusual for the girl, Ami had come to realize, but she figured that she would be on time for a party, at least. Ami didn't think of herself that way, but everyone else saw a cute girl dressed as a cat-girl maid, carrying a purple plush cat.

The plush cat turned to look at the entrance again. "Usagi-chan is even late for parties," Luna observed.

Ami nodded in agreement. She was just about check her watch again when a short figure in a teddy bear costume walked into the party. Something about the way the figure hurried reminded Ami of Usagi. "Is that her?" Ami asked Luna. The bear tripped. "Yes, that's her."

Ami hurried forward, helping her friend to her feet. Usagi began to gush as she took in the sights. "Sugoi! They all look so…" Ami knew full well what had caught Usagi's attention.

One of the guests was dressed up as a Sailor Senshi. The woman was gorgeous. Long auburn hair reached the dark blue bow at the small of her back, but unlike the bow Ami wore when transformed, it had a trailing pair of ribbons that reached the woman's knees. The dark blue bow in the front, an emerald green disk in its center, adorned the woman's ample chest. The white leotard showed off her slender waist, while the harder upper body armor accented each curve. The woman's dark green skirt, a stripe of silver around its edge, only reached mid-thigh, displaying well-formed legs. Her sailor collar matched the skirt. The dark green color scheme extended to the bands near the elbow of her long white gloves, as well as the low-heeled short boots on her feet. Beneath her bangs was a golden tiara with an emerald in the center. Completing the outfit was a tall staff, a golden circle on the upper end, a silver crescent at the bottom.

"That's Takeda Megumi! She's so pretty!" Usagi gushed. "Say, Luna, is that what we look like when transformed?"

Luna's negative reply absolutely crushed the girl. Which was why she didn't notice a rather familiar miko crashing the party.

Ami on the other hand, was distracted by a sudden realization. _'That's my neighbor! I can't believe I didn't recognize her! I was so distracted by Aino-san I didn't even notice!'_

- + - + -

'_Ah, that must be the other Senshi,' _Ranma thought. _'Looks like the girls had the same idea I had. Good for them.' _The pseudo-Senshi returned her attention to the conversation at hand. "I got the idea from Sailor V, of course. The outfit is so adorable, I just couldn't resist. I chose my own colors, though. Oh, there's the birthday girl."

Ranma applauded politely as the girl thanked her guests for their presence, and ordered the DJ to begin the music. Ranma began making her way over, curious about why she'd been invited.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ranma watched the bear rush out onto the dance floor, much to the obvious frustration of the neko-maid. _'At least one of the girls actually acts her age. Though I can't see Mizuno pulling some of the stunts Minako has recently.'_ Ranma smiled as she thought of the girl. _'Minako certainly has an ecchi side to her. I can't see Mizuno having one, though. The girl's far too bashful for that. If Beryl does try something, I'll let the girls handle things.'_

For the third time today, Ranma checked the improvised adaptor that made it look like the Kinjakan and the Gekkaja were one large weapon. It wouldn't hold together during a fight, of course, but it would be embarrassing if it fell apart at the party. _'I hope Beryl makes her move against me soon. Carrying these things around all the time is a big chore.'_

"Takeda-san! I'm so glad you can make it," Zaibetsu Sakurabi said as Ranma approached. "And your costume… it's so daring!"

"Thank you. I must admit I was a bit surprised to receive an invitation, but it is nice to attend a non-industry party for a change…"

- + - + -

Hino Rei rolled her eyes at what had to be Usagi on the dance floor. _That_ is why she preferred to work alone. Other people were too unreliable. _'I don't need their help. __I am perfectly capable of dealing with things myself.'_

She quickly moved through the party. If the enemy was going to try to steal the mystical blue crystal, they'd probably do so before its presentation, not afterwards. She easily found a stairway leading up, and walked through the corridors, following the presence of the youma she had sensed yesterday.

She froze when she saw someone turn the corner ahead… until she realized that it was Mizuno Ami. The girl had changed out of her costume from the party, and was wearing normal clothing. Rei quietly walked up behind the girl, and tapped her on the shoulder.

Ami gasped and turned around. Rei placed a finger against her lips, and whispered, "Quiet. I sense a youma here." The miko continued walking.

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"I know you don't want to be friends, but we can help each other as Senshi, right? There's safety in number's, isn't there, when confronting a youma?"

"I guess…"

Ami hesitated, before asking, "Rei-san?"

"Yes?"

"Are you afraid of friends?"

- + - + -

Ranma had been enjoying the party. It had turned out that her host had indeed been a big Mamono Hunter Yohko fan, and she had certainly set a great spread. It would've been more fun with Minako-chan here to dance with, of course, not to mention having to lug around two powerful, ancient, magical weapons, but watching the antics of Tsukino Usagi helped keep things entertaining.

'_Well, looks like the youma finally decided to make its move. And there's the blue-haired Senshi…and there's another one?'_ Ranma looked at bear, who was currently hugging an uncomfortable looking man in a rather fancy tuxedo and mask. _'I thought she was the other Senshi?' _Ranma sent a faint burst of hostile ki at the girl, who immediately let go of the poor guy and began to nervously look around. _'I guess they found the fourth Senshi already. Good, that makes my job easier.' _Ranma smirked. _'That poor guy certainly beat a hasty retreat. I definitely understand not liking getting glomped out of the blue.'_

Ranma frowned when a second youma presence appeared. _'That's odd. I wonder where the second one came from?'_ Ranma tried her hardest not to laugh as Usagi struggled with the oversized head of her costume, so she could answer her cell phone. As the girl rushed out of the party, Ranma followed, curious about how this would end.

- + - + -

Ranma followed Usagi upstairs, carefully concealing all sense of her presence. She really wanted to see what the girls were capable of. Which hadn't been very impressive so far.

'_These girls really need some proper training,'_ Ranma concluded reluctantly. _'They're still calling each other by their real names, for one thing,'_ Ranma thought; as she watched the red-skirted Senshi, otherwise known as 'Rei-chan,' struggle with the other girl's costume. _'And apparently they need some trinket or other to transform, and Usagi chose a costume that she can't get out of on her own. It's a good thing the youma chose not to follow, or they might be in trouble.'_

Ranma could sense that the other youma had joined its partner on the roof, pursuing the third Senshi. Figuring that the girls could handle changing on their own, Ranma teleported onto the roof's water tower, where she could watch the action unobserved.

The blue-haired Senshi was currently trying to evade the two youma, an ornate box in her hands. _'Must be the mystical blue crystal.'_

The red-skirted Senshi and Usagi (who had apparently finally gotten her costume off) ran onto the roof. "Hold it right there!"

Ranma groaned to herself. _'Why didn't she take the time to transform first?'_

The two youma stopped and turned towards the girls. Mizuno ran to join the other girls. The three girls posed as Usagi cried out, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" There was a brief flash of light, and Tsukino Usagi had been transformed into the blonde Senshi with twin odango and pony tails.

The blue-haired Senshi struck a new pose, and said, "Senshi of Water and Wisdom, Sailor Mercury…"

The red-skirted Senshi also changed her pose as she said, "Senshi of Flame and Passion, Sailor Mars…"

The last sailor-suited girl posed as well, and said, "The Beautiful Sailor Senshi of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon…"

Together, the three girls finished, "… In the name of the Moon, we'll punish you!"

Ranma pinched the bridge of her nose. _'I am so glad I broke Minako-chan of that habit. They have enough power between them to have dusted both youma by now.'_ Ranma sighed. _'At least now I know what to call them. Sailors Moon, Mars, and Mercury. And Sailor V, a.k.a. Venus, makes four. Now we just have to find the prince and princess. Okay, girls, take out those… three youma? Where'd that one come from?'_

Ranma shook her head as she watched the show. It didn't take long for the girls to figure out that they had to destroy all three simultaneously. _'It must be one youma in three parts. As long as one of them is intact, the other two can reform easily. Even if there's as much a second gap between the destruction of the first, and the destruction of the third.'_ Ranma made a mental note take a weekend training trip with Minako, as soon as they could. The girl would probably find it romantic, and if things like this became common, they needed to know the timing of each other's attacks, and that could only come with practice.

After much screaming and running around, Sailor Moon came up with a rather unique solution to their problem, timing their attacks using Minako's song, "C'est la vie." _'It's a good thing those youma aren't very bright. A cannier enemy would've disrupted their rhythm. Oh, ho! What's this?'_

While the girls were singing and herding the trio of youma together in order to blast them into pieces, a rather battered Nephrite limped out from hiding, and picked up the box from where Sailor Mercury had set it down. _'Okay, should I intervene, or wait to see if the girls notice first?'_ Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone else on the roof, moving to intercept Nephrite. _'It's the guy in the tuxedo. Aha! That must be the tuxedoed jewel thief that Minako's been trying to capture. Maybe I should hog tie him, and give Minako a late birthday present?'_

Sailor Moon had finally noticed the theft. "Hey! Give that back!" The three girls moved to block Nephrite from gaining access to the nearest stairwell.

Nephrite turned, to find the masked man blocking access to the other stairwell.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as she saw the tuxedoed man.

He held his cane like a bokken (_'Ye gods, does that bring back memories,'_ Ranma thought) and said, "You _will_ give that to me, please."

Nephrite looked from Senshi to Tuxedo Kamen, tried to sneer menacingly despite a split lip, and said, "If you want it… catch!" He tossed it towards the edge of the roof, where a black haired woman, wearing rugged jeans and a camouflaged jacket, caught it. He gaped in surprise. "YOU!"

Ranma set down the bejeweled box, and cracked her knuckles. "It seems you didn't learn the first time, Nephrite-chan. It's penalty time again." She took a menacing step forward, but before she could lay hands upon him, he vanished. _'Which is a good thing. I'm not sure I could maintain this glamour during a fight with him.'_ "Shoot. He got away again," Ranma pouted cutely. She nodded to the girls. "Ladies." She saluted the man. "Tux-boy. See ya." With a wave, she vanished.

Ranma reappeared, concealed, back on top of the water tower. _'Whew. That was tiring. I guess I've got to think up a name for my normal girl side, now. This could get really confusing, really quick.'_ She watched as her mysterious appearance, and equally mysterious disappearance, was discussed among the girls as they retrieved the box. The confrontation between the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen raised an eyebrow. _'So the Tuxedo is looking for the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou as well. And Sailor Moon seems quite taken with him, despite his claims of possibly being an enemy, which explains her behavior at the party. First chance I get, I'm going to have to make a chart or something, just to keep everything straight.'_

Author's Notes: The idea of unifying the Kinjakan and Gekkaja into one larger staff came from "The Best of Times," by Ozzallos. If you haven't read it before, do so. It is well worth the read.

If you've only seen the anime, it's easy to dismiss the Tuxedo as inconsequential. He's a little more impressive in the manga and live-action series. At least he's willing to actually _fight_ along side the Senshi.


	15. Chapter 15

Spoiled Brats

Author's Notes: Sometimes, coming up with chapter titles can be the hard part. Not this time. Fight scenes always look cooler in my head than they do on the page.

Chapter Fifteen – The Clark Kent Effect

Ranma looked at the blank poster board he had set up in his study. _'Let's see… where to start…When in doubt, start at the beginning.'_ Ranma raised his hand, projecting a bit of energy at the board. A square, with the kanji for "Ranma" inside, appeared on the board. A moment later, and a circle with the hiragana for "Ranma," appeared beside the square, a thick line connecting the two. The kanji for male and female appeared besides the kanji and hiragana spellings of his name, respectively. Finally, a third set of kanji, for "Aino Minako," around which he whimsically drew a heart. He drew a connecting line from his male half to Minako, but hesitated before connecting her to his female half. Instead, he added "Takeda Megumi," also in a circle, and connected _her_ to Minako. The square for "Takeda Kappei," also connected to Minako, and Megumi as well, completed the foundation of his chart.

_'I think I'll ditch the Dragon Knight persona. His only connection is to Minako, and she knows the real me now. Now, I need to decide if I want to use my girl side, or create a whole new identity.'_ He thought for a second. _'Definitely a new identity. She's known to the Dark Kingdom as well, and I don't want anything connecting her to Minako… or myself.'_ A new circle branched off from his girl side, which he kept blank for now. He'd think of a name later. Female "Kunzite" branched off from her, who in turn begat male "Kunzite" from the Silver Millennium.

The other three Senshi, Usagi, Rei, and Ami, also known as Moon, Mars, and Mercury, respectively, he connected to the unnamed persona as well. Beryl, Jadeite, and Nephrite were also connected to the "mystery woman."

_'Who is she? She's black haired, exactly like my natural girl side, and blue-eyed… again like my natural girl side. Megumi and her brother have brown eyes, thanks to contacts, and Megumi has auburn hair. I don't want to rely on a glamour, like I did with the Dragon Knight, for her persona, even if it's just hair color. A physical disguise won't vanish if I get low on energy thanks to a fight. Changing my hair color repeatedly implies a wig, unless I want to totally destroy my hair by continuing to dye it. And that's no good for a fast change…_

_'Her civilian side is definitely a total tomboy, comfortable in jeans and camouflage, unlike Megumi who at least dresses in a feminine manner, even if she's a tomboy at heart. But she'll need an alternate identity for her as well, given the whole "past life" situation. The other Senshi need to believe she's from the past life, with no connection to Kunzite. The question is, what should it be, and how do I pull it off?'_

Ranma frowned as he explored the possibilities. Before he could go further, he needed a way to reliably swap outfits. And in order to do that…

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Mousse. "Hey, Mousse? Ranma. Are you familiar with pop's disappearing gi trick? Well, I'm hoping to develop a similar technique that doesn't require activating a curse…"

- + - + -

"Are you completely out of your mind?"

Ranma sighed. Now she was getting that line from her hairdresser. "Sakura-san, I'm just exploring some possibilities."

"Why would you even think of something like that?" Sakura gave Ranma's hair a tug. "Do you how long it takes to grow hair this long? Seven years, that's how long. And you want to cut it short?"

"Look. I need a hairstyle that can be easily worn under a wig. And that means short hair. At least I want something nice. I could've just taken a razor and shaved my head. So unless you have some mystical hairdressing technique that can change my hair color back and forth, let's see what you've got for short hair."

- + - + -

'_I can't believe she actually _had_ a mystical hairdressing technique,' _Ranma thought, shaking her head as she stared in the mirror. _'If it wasn't for the fact that I know several hair-styling martial arts techniques already exist…'_

"Ranma, would you quit playing with your hair, and check this out?"

Ranma concentrated, and shifted her hair back to auburn, returning it to its normal length. "Sure, Mousse, what do you have?"

Mousse tapped the scroll he was reading. "I knew it! There is an instant disguise technique in Hidden Weapons Style. Check this out."

Ranma took the scroll and plopped down on her couch. Mousse watched his friend read for several minutes, before blurting out, "You are scarily good at that, Ranma."

"Good at what?"

"That!" He said, pointing. "I can see the physical similarities between you and Takeda Megumi if I look closely, but if I didn't know it was you both times, I'd swear that the two of you didn't look that much alike."

Ranma shrugged. "It's just a matter of body language. I've had a lot of practice, and it's what makes me such a good actress." She tapped the scroll. "I think this technique just might work."

"Ranma, this technique can only swap between two different outfits. You said you'd need at least four. And what you call your 'disappearing gi trick' might count against that limit."

"Bah. That's just a matter of power, and I have power to spare."

"Says the woman who passes out when she teleports."

"Says the woman who can teleport, period."

"Good point."

"The only things I need to learn to use this are the imprinting techniques used in Hidden Weapon Style." Ranma looked seriously at Mousse. "You're not going to get in trouble for showing me them, are you?"

Mousse shook his head. "I'm a master in my school, so I can instruct anyone I want. And even if I wasn't, I'd still teach you. What you're doing is far too important to jeopardize by keeping my techniques a secret. Besides, I trust you."

Ranma smiled warmly at Mousse. "Why thank you, Mousse. That means a lot to me."

"Argh. You're doing it again! Turn off the girl!"

"Alright, Mousse. Do you want to start training before or after we shoot the climax?"

"Definitely after. This little stunt we're pulling is going to be tough enough without being tired from doing a lot of imprinting."

"Okay… next week then."

- + - + -

Sakata Junichi looked around the sound stage, marking off each element on his checklist. His two stars were in place. The six stuntmen in CGI marked rubber suits stood ready in the wings. The three traditional cameramen and their crews reported everything was running perfectly. The four "stunt cameramen" had all given him the thumbs up. The pyrotechnic crews were standing by.

Seeing that all was in readiness, Junichi said the words he had been anticipating for over three weeks. "Action!"

- + - + -

Yohko peered cautiously into the chamber beyond the doorway. Huge pits of fire in the floor dimly lighted the labyrinthine room. At the top of the chamber was the mystical gem, the Shikon no Tama. If she could destroy that gem, then the Warlord and his devil beasts would be banished back to the dark dimension that had spawned him.

Gripping her soul-sword lightly, she cautiously flitted from shadow to shadow, evading the monsters that inhabited the place. Taking a deep breath, she jumped, grabbing a protruding flagpole with one hand. Like a gymnast, she twirled once around the pole, using her momentum to launch herself to the top of one of the many pillars, flattening herself once she reached the top. Below, one of the devil beasts sniffed at a pillar, before grunting and walking away.

Several times, she moved quickly and then hid, moving slowly but surely towards the cause of all the death and destruction. Half way there, the fire pits flared, brightly lighting the room. She looked to her right, where two of the Warlord's creatures were stalking towards her. She looked up, where another two were descending. The two on floor were also climbing towards her.

Yohko leapt into action. She jumped onto the back of the beasts on her right, her soul sword taking the head of its partner in the process. A second leap sent the monster screaming from its perch, and into one of the fire pits below. In mid air, she sliced the limb off a third, which fell to the ground, writhing. As she landed, the fourth charged her from behind. She thrust backwards, and the thing impaled itself on her blade.

Unfortunately, the blade stuck in the beast, so she was unarmed when the fifth reached her level. As the thing tried to eviscerate her with its claws, she maneuvered it into position where a single strike, when it was off balance, sent it hurtling into another of the fire pits. She managed to retrieve her sword before the last one reached her. It didn't fare any better than the others.

"You are skilled, Mamono Hunter," a sepulcher voice declared above her. She looked at the humanoid figure of the Warlord, his once handsome face transformed into demonic visage. "But you are far too late. Behold! The Shikon no Tama opens! The time of Humanity is at an end!" Above them both, sparks flew from the jewel. "Agree to serve me, and I shall make… ack!"

Yohko didn't give him time to finish making his offer. She let her sword do her talking for her. He answered with chains, which wrapped around her chest. She cut herself free, but the time it took to do so had allowed him to get a sword. She barely parried the heavy blow.

The two exchanged blows of such power that they destroyed the platform they stood upon. Yohko jumped from the crumbling structure, desperate to reach the glowing jewel before it opened fully. Unfortunately, the Warlord anticipated her move, and once again he stood in her way. The pair once again engaged in desperate swordplay, until Yohko broke off to direct a scintillating beam of energy against her foe. The Warlord erected a barrier. His yellowed eyes narrowed as the barrier weakened against the girl's attack. The destruction of his barrier was spectacular, throwing both into the walls at either side of the chamber.

Yohko regained her footing first. She made a beeline for the gem, even as the Warlord summoned up numerous knives to hurl in her direction. Several scored glancing blows, tearing into her flesh. At the apex of her final leap, she hurled her soul sword at the gem, destroying it.

The Warlord screamed, "No!" as the gem cracked. The resulting explosion was spectacular. It hurled her backwards, knocking the breath from her. Furious, the Warlord stalked towards her, his sword held high. As the ceiling collapsed around them, she dodged the first blow, scrambling for the hilt of her sword.

She retrieved it in time to parry his heavy blow. "You've destroyed everything!" The pair exchanged blows, the debris falling around them far more dangerous than the sword wielders themselves. It was the debris that betrayed the Warlord. His foot wedged itself between two large pieces of masonry, which left him vulnerable to an attack by Yohko.

Her sword tore into the Warlord. But instead of blood, energy poured out of the wound. Realizing what was about to happen, Yohko fled. Before she made it to safety, the Warlord exploded. The force of the explosion hurled Yohko into the air, until she struck the wall of the corridor outside. She saw no more after that.

- + - + -

"And CUT!"

Ranma limped back onto the destroyed set, where she helped up an equally battered Mousse. "You okay, Nyu-chan?"

"Shouldn't that be my line, Megumi-san? You took a worse beating than I did."

"I've taken worse."

Junichi walked towards the pair, thanking each of the cameramen who had braved the destruction of the set. "You two were fantastic! I can't believe we got everything like that. I don't even know where to begin editing everything… Megumi?"

"Yes, Director-san?"

"Is that real blood?" he asked, staring at her arm.

"Hai."

Mousse and Ranma watched in amusement as the director fainted.

- + - + -

The cloaked figure stared at the pathetic wretch before him. "Do you agree to my price?"

"Yes! He destroyed my career! My life! It was to be my big break, and that foreign usurper ruined everything."

"Very well. Take this stone, and when you see your enemy, shatter it before him. Not soon after that, he shall be no more."

The unshaved man clenched the stone tight in his fist. "Li Nyugen, you destroyed my life! It is only fair that I destroy yours."


	16. Chapter 16

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I don't own PGSM or Ranma ½. That's all.

Chapter Sixteen – Airport security isn't what it used to be

Mousse sat in the living room of Ranma's posh apartment, waiting for his friend to come out of the bedroom. "Are you almost finished? I need to get to the airport in an hour and a half if I'm to make my plane."

Ranma left the bedroom, dressed in an attractive dress that reached her knees. Like a model on a walkway, Ranma strutted sensually towards him. "Ranma, do you have to turn on the girl right now? It's just me here, you know."

The woman had the audacity to wink. "Ah, my dear Nyu-chan! I just want to make sure everything's working the way it's supposed to be."

Mousse shuddered. "That's unnatural."

Ranma smiled coyly as she turned, and walked back. Just before she turned around a second time, there was a brief shimmer in the air. Replacing the auburn haired woman was a black haired one, her long hair braided and coiled tightly at the nape of her neck. She was dressed in jeans and an aviator jacket. As the woman walked toward him, he noticed that unlike Megumi's previous swaying gait, her stride was all business, and actually somewhat menacing, in a "I'm going this way, don't you dare try and stop me," way. Ranma smirked at Mousse before she turned around and walked back.

There was a flash of light, and a new woman was revealed. As Ranma once again went through her paces, Mousse gulped. _That_ woman was truly menacing, her gait saying, "Go ahead. Make my day."

Ranma crossed her arms, challenging him. "Well… what do you think?"

Mousse rubbed his chin, and said, "Ranma… I have just the thing to make that outfit complete."

- + - + -

At the airport, Ranma helped Mousse pile his suitcases on a dolly. As she tightened the last strap, she smirked at Mousse and said, "Look, I'll have to meet you inside the concourse."

"What do you mean?"

She slung a long thin case over her shoulder. "It would be kind of hard to explain these things to security, so I'll just teleport in."

"Do you really have to carry those things everywhere you go?"

"Probably not, but I've got it on good authority that Beryl will try something sooner or later. I'd look pretty damn foolish if those were out of reach when she does. And you know these things have too much power to stash them in stuff space or with Hidden Weapons style."

"I think you just want an excuse avoid the lines. Well… see you inside, Ranma."

- + - + -

Ranma had just finished her fifth signature when Mousse arrived at the lounge. This gave her the excuse she needed to beg off. Mousse smirked as she approached. "You're disappointing your adoring fans, Megumi-san. This is why I like Japan. I don't get recognized that often."

"Enjoy it while it lasts. You'll be back in Hong Kong soon."

Behind them, a voice shouted, "Li Nyugen!"

Mousse's shoulders slumped. "And so it begins…"

Ranma glanced over her shoulder. "I don't think he's a fan, Nyu-chan…"

The pair turned around, and saw an angry young man before them. Ranma recognized him as Morita Keiichi, the actor who had had played the part of the Warlord before Mousse had come into the production. Ranma thought he had a pretty face, and that was about it. He had starred in a few films targeted for teenaged girls, and this was to be his first action role. His mediocre athletic ability had pretty much limited the stunts he could do, and was responsible for the initial, heavy CGI version of the climatic fight.

Morita clenched his fist as he glared at Mousse. "Li Nyugen, because of you, I've seen hell!"

"Wow… that seems familiar," Ranma murmured.

"That was my role! You stole it! And you stole Megumi from me!"

Ranma cocked an eyebrow at Mousse. "Don't look at me. I'm a confirmed lesbian."

"Now you will pay!" Morita hurled something he had in his hand at his feet. The stone broke apart, releasing a sickly orange vapor that surrounded the man. The vapor seeped into him, and he began to change. His right arm spasmed, his hand forming a claw as the arm doubled in size. With a wet tearing sound, the arm split in two.

"Oh, crap!" Mousse glanced at Ranma, who already had her case off her shoulder. She opened it up, and pulled out the Kinjakan. "What are you doing?"

Around the concourse, pandemonium had broken out. "Monster!"

Ranma sent the weapon's flaming hoop streaking at the writhing man. She cursed as a dome of energy deflected the hoop. "We've got to destroy him before the metamorphosis is complete."

Mousse grabbed the Gekkaja hesitantly. "Is it really necessary to kill him?"

Ranma nodded sadly. "That was a demon heart stone. I've seen one used before. The idiot's already dead. The cult that creates those things never mentions what's in the fine print."

"You're the one with the experience," Mouse said reluctantly. "How do you want to do this?"

"We alternate. If we do this together, they'll cancel each other out. I attack for three seconds, and then you. With luck, we'll overload it."

Ranma sent a stream of flame at the dome. Three seconds later, the flames died, and Mousse unleashed a beam of cold into the dome. They repeated this for several cycles, as the dome grew, and the figure inside swelled to fill the space, one appendage at a time.

"It's big enough for us to attack at the same time now," Ranma shouted over the roar of the Kinjakan. "If we attack from opposite sides!"

"Right!" The two separated, each sending a stream of energy into the dome.

"Megumi!" Mousse shouted after several minutes of sustained attacks. "This isn't working!"

"Okay… plan 'C' then," Ranma shouted back.

"Which is?"

"We wait until it's done changing, the dome drops, and _then_ we try to kill it."

"Two prong attack? Keep blasting it until it's dead?"

"No. Wolf pack. This thing is probably pretty dumb. We need to stay mobile. When one of us has its attention, the other blasts it. Keep it off balance, until we see an opportunity to hamstring it. Once it's crippled, then we go in for the kill."

- + - + -

"Minako-chan! Come here! Hurry!"

Minako hurried out of her bedroom. "What is it, Artemis?"

The white plush toy pointed at the TV screen, where an anchorwoman was speaking above a tag line that read, "Monster attack at Narita Airport."

"It was a scene straight out of Mamono Hunter Yohko. A man, whose identity has yet to be released, summoned a monster in the middle of the Narita Airport Terminal One Concourse, which destroyed much of the South Wing.

"Opposing the creature was Takeda Megumi-sama, who proved that not only did she play a devil hunter on the silver screen, but is actually one in real life."

The picture changed to a grainy, black and white video, which showed a huge, four -armed monstrosity, which dwarfed the two figures running around it. Every time the creature turned towards one of them, the other unleashed a flash of light against it. Eventually, the monster turned a little too quickly, briefly getting tangled in one of the booths on the concourse. One of the figures darted in, swinging at its leg.

"Eventually, Takeda-sama and Hong Kong legend, Li Nyugen-san, succeed in destroying the beast. They have been taken to an undisclosed hospital…"

Artemis sighed as he watched his charge race out her hotel room. "I wonder if she knows where she's going…"

- + - + -

Ono Toufuu dabbed at a cut on the auburn haired woman's forehead. "You two are lucky to be alive, do you know that?"

"The thing was an idiot, Doc. All brawn, no brain. We had a strategy, the Kinjakan and Gekkaja, and time to prepare. It's the intelligent ones you have to worry about."

Mousse reclined in the other bed, his leg in a splint. "Speak for yourself, Ranma. I never want to come that close again. Do you fight things like that often?"

"A couple times a year. Though most of them are a lot easier than that one. It could certainly absorb a lot of damage." Ranma grimaced. "I was really glad you were there with me, Mousse. That wouldn't have been fun on my own."

"Ranma, you seriously need to redefine what you call fun."

Kasumi peeked into the examination room. "Ranma, you have a visitor." She stepped aside, allowing Minako into the room.

"Sempai… are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Minako-chan."

"Good." The girl's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you call me? I had to hear about the attack on the news!"

Ranma flinched. "Ah… sorry, Minako-chan. There wasn't any way you could've gotten there in time."

"If we're going to be partners in this, then you need to be able to trust me. Even if I couldn't have gotten there in time, which is guaranteed if I don't _know_ about it in the first place, I could've helped out afterwards."

Ranma bowed as best she could in the bed. "I am sorry, Minako-chan. I didn't think."

"So, partners?"

"Partners."

"Good." Minako jumped on the bed, kissing the older woman soundly. "Stop scaring me like this!"

Ranma turned to the older man, who was watching him in amusement along with his wife. "So, am I good to go, Doc?"

Toufuu frowned. "No, Ranma, you are not," the doctor said as he fiddled with his glasses. "Your ki reserves are seriously depleted, and I can tell you've been dangerously draining them repeatedly in the last month. I'm not letting you leave until you've gotten two good nights of rest, and a day in Kasumi's care. After that, I want you to promise me that you'll take the next week off. No ki techniques, no teleporting, no monster hunting, nothing. You're not fully recovered from your last bit of stupidity, so you will do as I say. Understood?"

"But…"

"Don't worry, Ono-sensei. I'll make sure he follows directions," Minako said impishly. She kissed Ranma one more time. "I'll see you in two days, Sempai. I have things to set up. Nice to meet you, Li-san. Sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances." With a saucy wink, she left the room.

Mousse cocked an eyebrow at the somewhat dazed woman on the other examination bed. "You realize, Ranma, that I'm going to have to tease you unmercifully about robbing the cradle, don't you?"


	17. Chapter 17

Spoiled Brats

Author's Notes: Whew… I'm at about 36,000 words or so, and it's easy to see why National Novel Writing Month is described as a _challenge, _at least those to us who have a day job and other interests as well.

Acknowledgements: I'd definitely like to thank the folks at fukufics dot com for their discussion of the last chapter. I think the next couple chapters will be the better for it.

Chapter Seventeen – Living Arrangements

Ranma had never truly noticed just how difficult it was for most people to move around Tokyo. It was the little things, like catching trains at the _station _as opposed to hitching a ride on the outside as they passed, or staying at street level rather than cutting across the rooftops, that he simply wasn't used to.

'_Not to mention being able to teleport. _That_ really speeds things up,' _Ranma thought bitterly. He clenched his fist, noticing the very slight tremor in his hand. _'I've really been living on sheer willpower and adrenaline the last couple of weeks, haven't I? Even after a day of Kasumi's cooking, I'm feeling pretty unsteady.'_

Ranma shook his head as he walked through Prince Arisagawa Park. _'Thanks to the airport incident, Megumi's popularity is at an all time high, which means it's going to be hard keeping a low profile with her. The scandal rags have already latched onto her relationship with Minako. Having Minako switch her relationship to Megumi's "brother" would really make their day. I suppose I need to talk to her about what to do. Why did I think things would be easier once the movie was over?'_

Ranma's musings were cut off when something white and soft latched itself to his face.

"I tried to stop her, Ranma!" Artemis cried, "But she wouldn't listen!"

"Aaaah!"

"I told her to check with you first! I told her that you'd be upset! But once she gets an idea into her head, she can't be stopped!"

"Artemis! Get off!"

"Oops… sorry." The white plush toy leapt off Ranma's face, onto a nearby bench.

"Artemis, do you have _any_ idea how lucky you are that you're not a real cat? Now, what's this about Minako?"

Artemis looked at the man anxiously. "Ranma, please keep in mind that Minako tends to throw everything she has into things. When she believed she was dying, she was determined to ensure that she would die well. Now that she believes she'll live, she's determined to _live_ well!"

"Artemis, what exactly are you talking about?"

- + - + -

"You're WHAT?"

"I'm moving in," Minako said brightly, as she carried another box into Ranma's guestroom, and continued to unpack. "I need a permanent address in Tokyo, and you have this huge apartment. You know as well as I do that no matter how nice it is to have a semi-permanent hotel room, there's nothing like having a place to call home."

"Minako, do you have any idea how inappropriate this is?"

Minako gave him a frank look. "I think it's quite appropriate. We're partners, after all, so it simply makes sense to live together, in order to better coordinate our activities. I'll have my bedroom, and you'll have yours. I even asked Manager-san if he would transfer my guardianship over to you, but he said no." The girl smiled impishly. "He said something about kitsune and chicken coops."

"Minako…"

The girl moved close to him, smiling winsomely up at him as she ran her hand over his chest. "Don't you want me by your side?" she asked, coyly.

Ranma's resistance crumbled.

"Great! Then it's decided." She turned back to her unpacking. "Besides, we both need someone to look after us. _You_ are as bad as I am, in the overwork department. Anyways, I've asked Manager-san to cancel everything this week except for my concert on Friday. He also suggested I go back to school. Oh, and Ranma?"

"Yes?"

"This is a girl's room. No boys allowed." She pushed him out of her room. "At least for now," she added with a wink.

- + - + -

"Good morning, Ranma! What do you think?" She twirled around, displaying her school uniform.

"That's not the Juuban uniform."

"I'm going back to my old school, which isn't too far from here. Do you think I should go to Juuban?"

Ranma shook her head. "Two of the three Senshi go to Juuban. You wanted to keep your distance from them, until they find your princess. That's going to be hard enough, living in the same area. Going to the same school as well would be pushing your luck."

"Good point." She kissed Ranma on the cheek, and then peered into the wok on the stove. "That smells heavenly."

"I was hoping you'd like it."

"You're making me a bento? Lucky!" Then she saw a tray sitting on the counter. "And a home-cooked breakfast? Ranma, you're spoiling me!" She took her breakfast into the dining area, where she could watch her auburn haired partner cook. She was just about to start eating when she realized something. "Wait a second… I'm the guy in this relationship! I don't want to be the guy!"

Ranma chuckled as she looked over her shoulder. "Don't worry, Minako-chan. Nobody could ever mistake you for a guy." She finished Minako's bento, picked up her own breakfast tray, splashed himself, and joined Minako at the table. "Better?"

"Hai." She glanced at the edge of the table as the white stuffed animal jumped onto table, and looked mournfully at their plates. "Something wrong, Artemis?"

"Just wishing I was flesh and blood right now. That looks so good."

"Just be thankful that you're not a real cat."

"You've said that before, Ranma. Care to explain why?"

Ranma sighed. "Because of an accident when I was young, I've got a severe phobia of cats. Thankfully, it's quite specific, so I don't have many problems with you." Ranma sent the toy a warning glare. "Just don't pounce on my face again."

"Got it."

"Oh, and Minako-chan?"

"Yes?"

"You are aware that you and Megumi are pretty much an official couple in the scandal rags, aren't you?"

Minako stared at him, stunned. "What?"

"It won't take long for the more respectable celebrity gossip magazines to pick up on the fact that you've moved in with me." He tapped her nose. "And if you get caught carrying on with Kappei, you'll get a rather negative reputation."

"Oh." Minako's shoulders dropped. "What do we do?"

"It's not too late for you to find your own place."

Minako shook her head emphatically. "No."

"Then I think Kappei should move out, to give you two some privacy." Ranma said, smirking. "Besides, keeping a second apartment, in case of emergencies, might not be a bad idea."

Minako sighed. "This is really complicated, isn't it?"

"Yes. We're both pretending to be several different people, for various reasons."

"Well… then I guess the idol Aino Minako will get Takeda Megumi, while Sailor V gets to have the Dragon Knight. And we get to be Minako and Ranma when we're in the apartment. You are going to go on patrol with me after this week is over, aren't you, Sempai?"

"Of course, Minako-chan. I do believe we've got a plan… in fact, I think we can go one better." Ranma smirked. "If you're pretending to be your princess, then maybe I should pretend to be my prince. Given their relationship in the past life, they're probably going to be drawn to each other."

"Hai." Minako put down her chopsticks. "Thank you, sempai," she said, giving him a deep kiss on the lips. She scooped up Artemis and her bento. "I'm off."

"Have a good day at school!"

- + - + -

Ranma found himself with far too much time on his hands. After all these years, he wasn't used to having nothing to do. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to go roof hopping out of sheer boredom. Nor was practicing his art enough to break the tedium. He hadn't realized how much he'd used his ki in his daily kata. Doctor Toufuu's instructions had been very explicit about what was permitted, and those that didn't require ki enhancement were limited in number, and boringly basic.

When he went out, he usually went out as a guy, carrying a thermos with him in case he got splashed, since unfortunately the disappearing gi technique required ki to use. Megumi was extremely popular right now, and the one time he'd gone out as a woman, people expressing their thanks for the events at Narita Airport rather quickly mobbed her. He was quite thankful that his Kappei identity was relatively low profile, in comparison to his "sister."

It took two days to burn his way through everything he'd been planning on reading once he had time on his hands. During the third day, she kept herself busy writing song lyrics to melodies several composers had sent Megumi. On the fourth, he reviewed several new scripts that had been sent to Megumi for consideration. It wasn't until the fifth day that it occurred to him to ask Artemis to stay at the apartment, so that he could talk to the stuffed toy about how to break into the inner sanctum of the other Senshi. The plush cat had several suggestions that didn't involve borrowing Minako's pass. It was tempting, but Ranma wanted to do it the hard way not only for the challenge, but to point out that they weren't inviolate in there.

'_Two more days, then I can finally begin doing something again,' _Ranma thought as he relaxed in the furo, a piano solo playing in the background. _'If this is to work, I really need to get those girls some proper training. Every day that passes, is one more chance for them to irrevocably ruin their secret identities. And I need to step up my harassment of Beryl… wait a second, I don't have the entertainment system on…'_

Ranma wrapped a towel around his waist when he got out of the furo, and quietly walked towards the door. Before he could even take two steps, he heard a faint voice ask, "Kunzite? Are you decent?"

Ranma hurriedly splashed herself before replying, "Not yet. You caught me in the furo."

Zoisite's quiet voice apologized, "Sorry. Let me know when you're ready."

Ranma wrapped her hair in a towel, slipped on a robe, and then went into the living room, where she sat down on the sofa. "Okay, Zoisite, I'm ready." There was a shimmer, and a shadowy replica of Zoisite's cavern, complete with piano, superimposed itself on Ranma's apartment. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Artemis hiding behind a potted plant.

Seated at the piano was the pianist himself. Zoisite glanced over towards Ranma, saying, "You could've taken a few moments to get dressed, Kunzite."

"This game you're playing is dangerous enough, without prolonging our contact. Say your piece, Zoisite."

"You're looking a lot better than I last saw you."

Ranma grimaced. "My doctor is insisting I take a week off to recharge my batteries."

"You've placed yourself in a difficult position, my Captain. If you would just return to the Master's service…"

"In time, perhaps. I've had the bad sense to fall for the charms of a pretty young thing myself, so I'm finding my anger towards the Master is waning. I'm not quite ready to forgive him yet."

"Then there's hope. You would find things much easier if the Master was awake, and you were once again in his service. I'm amazed you're able to function at all right now." Zoisite looked at Ranma directly. "And if the Master was awake, it would be a lot harder for Beryl to maintain her hold on the rest of us."

"Your point is well taken. I will have to add finding the Master, and waking the fool up, to my list of things I need to do." Ranma smiled evilly. "And I know just the method to use."

"Kunzite…"

"The Master deserves at least a beating for what he did, and I know it would make _me_ feel a lot better." Ranma smirked at Zoisite. "Good enough for me to forgive him."

"Then I'd better reach him first."

"Competition often encourages one to work harder."

"Indeed. I'm sure you know by now that Beryl is not only gathering energy, but searching for Serenity and the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou as well."

"Yes. Anything you can tell me?"

"Not at this time. The Senshi disrupted Nephrite's latest attempt to find the Ginzuishou, and he's still whining about it. Jadeite's past failures has made him so timid, that he just does grab and run operations now, which nets only a little energy. There is considerable rivalry between the two, which shows you just how poisonous Beryl's influence over them is."

"Exactly how much influence does Beryl have over you?"

"I must obey her commands, but I'm free to interpret them however I wish. I'm fairly sure she suspects this, which is why she hasn't given me any orders so far. It is also why she's so hesitant to summon you."

"Wise woman. I think you'd better go, Zoisite. Thank you, my friend. And good luck to you."

"And to you, Kunzite."

There was a second shimmer, and Ranma's apartment returned to its normal appearance. Ranma looked for Artemis. "Did you catch all that?" Ranma asked, as she unwrapped her hair.

"Yes. So we have an ally in the Dark Kingdom."

"And Jadeite is still active, but operating on a small scale right now," Ranma added as she walked into her bedroom. "Which means Beryl's getting a small, but constant, supply of energy. Enough to supply Nephrite's activities, at the very least." She emerged in a rather long skirt. "I'm going to try to catch Minako after school. She needs to learn about this." Ranma sighed, as she put on a heavy coat against the chill November weather. "I also need to make more appearances as Megumi. I don't want her getting a reputation as a hermit. Later, Artemis."


	18. Chapter 18

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: Aw, forget it… you guys should know this by now.

Chapter Eighteen – You're Who?

Sailor V and the Dragon Knight effortlessly ran across the rooftops, leaping across alleys and streets below, heading off to some destination only they knew about. Behind them, unnoticed, a small figure pursued. It attempted to jump across the same street the couple had crossed before, but fell short. The unfortunate roofhopper scrabbled at the side of the building, managing to climb to the roof rather than plummeting ten stories to the street below.

The purple stuffed toy cat named Luna puffed as she regained her strength, and her nerve, from the near disastrous pursuit of the mysterious Sailor V. "Sailor… V… are you… our Princess?" She looked around the nearby rooftops, vainly trying to spot the couple she had been trying to follow. "And that man… could it be that Endymion is already at your side?" The plush toy shook her head. "This is not good. Not good at all."

- + - + -

Ranma grinned maniacally as he braved another long jump with Minako. "Sailor V… though it was only a short time, I really missed this."

"There is a kind of freedom in traveling like this." She glanced sidelong at the man beside her. "I keep forgetting you don't have to transform to do this, either."

"You have the potential to do this as well, Sailor V. All you need is the proper training."

"Well, now that your Doc said that you've recovered, we should probably find some time for proper training." Minako grinned at the masked man beside her. "Speaking of training, are ready for your big introduction to the rest of the Senshi tomorrow?"

Ranma chuckled evilly. "Oh, yeah."

"I wish I could be there to see…" The girl landed heavily, dropping to her hands and knees.

Ranma skidded to a halt, and then rushed to Minako's side. "Sailor V… are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just got a little light headed for a moment." She carefully stood up, aided by an anxious Ranma. "No… really, I'm fine. It'll pass." She sat down on a convenient bit of ducting.

"We should get you to Doc's."

"I'm fine, Knight-sama. I know exactly what's wrong, and we already know that there isn't anything he can do about it."

"Maybe you shouldn't…" At a glare from Minako, Ranma hurriedly amended the end of his suggestion. "…Go out on patrol without me anymore. The last thing you need is to get one these spells in the middle of a fight"

The blonde haired girl grimaced. "I suppose you're right."

"How often do you get these things, anyways?"

"Last one was three months ago. They're going to get more frequent, and worse … I think I sense a youma." Seeing Ranma's hesitation, Minako said insistently, "Go! I'll be fine here."

- + - + -

Jadeite watched as his youma chased down the man. The animalistic creature was very basic, incapable of autonomous action, but it was very good at chasing down prey and draining them of energy. It didn't kill them of course, but the drain would wipe their memories of the last ten minutes. They didn't want to panic the humans too much with random bodies, after all.

'_I should be the one searching for the Ginzuishou, not Nephrite,'_ Jadeite thought fiercely. _'That fool is ill suited for something requiring patience and…'_ His thoughts were interrupted when a cloaked man landed feet first onto the back of his youma. The man drove a sword straight through its skull, twisting the blade contemptuously. _'Is that Tuxedo Kamen? No, it's someone new.'_ Jadeite met the golden masked figure's eyes for a brief second, before deciding that discretion was the better part of valor. He vanished into a shimmer of the air.

- + - + -

Ignoring the rescued man's profuse thanks, Ranma stared into the space that Jadeite occupied only moments before. Eventually, Ranma nodded to the man, before heading back to the rooftops with a series of leaps.

Not too far away, he found Minako waiting for him. The blonde girl asked, "Finished so soon?"

"Yes. Our informant was quite correct about Jadeite's activities. The youma was a joke, and he ran as soon as it was killed. You okay?"

"Hai. Fully back to normal."

"Good. Let's go home. I doubt there'll be another youma attack tonight."

As the pair began to roofhop back in the general direction of their apartment, Minako said, "I've been thinking…"

"Yes?"

"I had an idea that I want to run by you…"

- + - + -

"Sailor V… you are a cruel, cruel woman."

"You don't think it's a good idea?"

"No, it's a great idea. I love it. I'll need to find some way of contacting Zoisite, though, in order to pull it off."

The two paused on a rooftop overlooking Prince Arisagawa Park, looked at each other, and then began cackling evilly. When they regained their composure, Ranma embraced the blonde girl and teleported them back into their apartment.

Much to Ranma's alarm, Minako all but collapsed when she detransformed, and she irritably objected to Ranma's attempts to help her into bed. _'I can't blame her for being out of sorts,' _Ranma thought as she prepared what she needed for tomorrow, including Minako's breakfast and lunch. _'What just happened scared me, and I'm not the one who'll die if we can't awaken the princess and find the Ginzuishou.'_

Ranma slipped into Minako's bedroom, watching the girl sleep. She gently brushed a brunette lock away from the girl's face, before planting a kiss on her forehead. _'Well, Minako-chan, it's time to get this party started. Good night.'_ The black haired woman quietly turned the girl's alarm off, before teleporting several blocks away. From there, she roof hopped towards Crown Karaoke.

She easily broke into the karaoke parlor, and once again found herself staring at the blank section of wall she knew held the entrance to the lair of the other Senshi. She raised her hand, allowing her energy to permeate the wall before her. Following Artemis' advice, she sent little bursts of energy into the wall, probing for the trigger. For a brief moment, the hidden door appeared. She probed again, finding and holding the trigger as the door appeared. With a smile, she opened the door and walked inside. Behind her, the door closed and vanished once again.

Inside, Ranma stared in equal parts amazement and exasperation. _'Is this a headquarters or a clubhouse?'_ She started walking down the stairs, taking in the sights. In the center of the room was a table with five colored chairs: Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, and Pink. At the far end of the room was a stage with an ornate karaoke machine. At the foot of the stairs were pictures of the girls, both individual and group shots. Half of the group shots were just of Tsukino Usagi and Mizuno Ami, while the other half included a somewhat uncomfortable looking Hino Rei. Ranma shook her head at the snack bar, which held a wide variety of candy and other sugary snacks.

'_Well, let's see if it's shielded against teleporting in and out.'_ In a shimmer of air, Ranma teleported to the roof of Crown Karaoke. A moment later, and Ranma appeared back into the hidden room. _'Whew. I need to watch how often I teleport. I don't need to overdo it so soon.'_

She exited the girls' secret room, checking one more time that she could access the room at will, and then broke out of the Crown as well. She roofhopped towards their apartment, teleporting back into her bedroom.

She was out like a light soon afterwards.

- + - + -

"Aaaah! I forgot to set my alarm! I'm really late!"

Ranma smiled as Minako rushed out of her room, half dressed. "Don't worry, Minako-chan. I called the school and let them know you'd be late. I figured you could use the rest." Ranma paused as he set out the girl's breakfast. "You did tell them about your condition, didn't you?"

A subdued Minako took her seat. "Hai. I wasn't expecting to see you this morning."

Ranma shrugged as he took his seat. "It was a lot easier than I thought it would be to break in, and I also found out I can teleport straight in. I'm going to do some research, pick Artemis' brain for a bit, before waiting for the girls in their lair. They quite frequently meet there after school."

The two ate in silence, each planning out their day. When Minako finished, she stood, saying, "Good luck, Ranma." After a quick peck on his lips, she winked, saying, "Have fun stalking young school girls. I'm off."

"Take it easy today, Minako!"

"Hai."

"Now, Artemis?"

The stuffed toy cat peeked around the laptop he was using. "Yes, Ranma?"

"How much do you know about the female fashions of the Earth Kingdom Court?"

- + - + -

Two hours before Juuban Junior High was to get out, Ranma appeared in the hidden karaoke booth. It didn't take long to prepare a few minor concealment glamours around her and the reclining lawn chair she'd brought. As she waited, she rearranged the chairs a bit, sorted the photos, moved the karaoke machine to the other side of the stage, and whimsically placed a fruit basket in the middle of the girls' table, complete with a big red bow. Then she sat down on her chair

The girls were surprisingly punctual. And they had a surprise for Ranma. A fourth girl was with them, a tall girl with a pony tail, who took one look at the room and whispered, "Amazing."

Usagi pulled on the girl's arm. "Come on, Mako-chan. It's a lot cooler down there. We even have karaoke! You will sing, won't you, Mako-chan?" Hino Rei rolled her eyes at the other girl as she grabbed an apple from the basket and took a bite.

"Alright, Usagi-chan." The taller girl let the other girl lead her down the stairs. Not one of them noticed Ranma watching, a bit puzzled.

'_Interesting… we seem to have acquired an extra Senshi. Let's see, we have: Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars… and it seems the newest girl is Jupiter, thank you Luna,' _Ranma thought as Artemis' purple counterpart tried, unsuccessfully, to get Usagi's attention. The girl was trying to get the newest Senshi to sing. _'That must mean… _USAGI_ is the princess?'_ Ranma's surprise almost overloaded the weak suggestion not to look too closely by the stairs. _'And if our hypothesis that the prince would seek out the princess, then Tux-boy would be my Master.'_ Ranma noticed that Rei kept on glancing around the room. _'She, at least, can sense something is off.'_ The girl, ignoring the duet on stage, was looking around the room, a frown developing on her face.

Ranma could tell the exact moment that the miko shook off the suggestion not to pay attention to Ranma's corner of the room. Ranma frowned as she stopped her stopwatch. "Six minutes, seventeen seconds," she said, standing up. "Pathetic." The other three girls were gaping at her in shock. It was all Ranma could do not to grin like a maniac. "Wretched beyond belief, in fact. If I had been an enemy, I could've done anything I wanted to you by now."

She slowly shook her head. "I left any number of clues that someone besides yourselves had been in this room," Ranma said, looking at Rei. "Starting with the basket of strange fruit." The auburn haired schoolgirl hurriedly set down the half eaten apple. Ranma smirked at the girl. "Don't waste food, dear."

Ranma walked slowly forward. "Now, it is my duty to prepare you girls to fulfill _your_ duties, and I can see I have my work cut out for me. The biggest problem I see is also the easiest one to fix. You all have code names for a reason. It's time to start using them. Do any of you have a clue about what the enemy could do if they learned of your true identities?

"You!" Ranma stabbed a finger at the longhaired girl with glasses, who blinked in surprise. "You are Mizuno Ami. You attend the Alto Seminar in the evenings. Your mother is Mizuno Saeko, who works at Juuban General Hospital. How would you feel if she was possessed by a youma on the way home from work, in order to strike at you?"

As Mizuno paled in horror, Ranma stabbed a finger at the probable princess. "You!" The girl yelped, already scared. "You are Tsukino Usagi. You have a younger brother, who is pretty much the only reason why you're not late for school more often. Do you think the Dark Kingdom will care if he's with you when they attack?" Ranma tried not to take satisfaction when the girl's eyes began tearing up.

Ranma moved on to the next Senshi. "You!" Ranma was rather pleased to see the miko's eyes narrowed in challenge. _'Don't think you have a weak spot, do you little priestess?' _"You are Hino Rei, a miko at Hikawa Shrine. Your Christian mother died three years ago, and rests at the cemetery at St. Theresa's Church. Do you really think Beryl wouldn't stoop to disturbing her rest to get at you?" Seeing the girl's stricken expression, Ranma felt a twinge of regret for that low blow.

"And you!" Ranma pointed a finger at the new girl, who jumped in surprise. "You're new, so welcome to the team." Once the girl relaxed, Ranma stabbed her finger at the girl again. "You are Kino Makoto. You recently transferred to Juuban Junior High. You regularly eat your lunch on the roof with Mizuno Ami. And your lunches look very yummy and cute!" Makoto dropped to her knees in shock. "And don't think I couldn't find out more about you if I had time."

Positive that she had their undivided attention, Ranma marched to the foot of the stairs. "Now, you four will be joining me the weekend after the next, so that I can determine EXACTLY what I have to work with."

Rei was the first to find her voice. "Just who do you think you are?"

"Me? I'm the unfortunate soul that's going to have to turn you girls into a team that can do more than slow the Dark Kingdom down. I'm the one who's going to take the raw potential I see before me, and turn you into true Senshi. My name is Tomoe Hotaru…"

Ranma raised her hand, shouting, "Saturn Power, Make Up!"

There was a flash of light, and four pairs of eyes stared in shock at the transformed Ranma. Her long braided black hair, looped at the back in order to help distinguish herself from her Megumi persona, had been replaced by shorter dark purple hair, which framed her face. Contacts changed her eyes from blue to a lighter shade of purple. The skirt and collar of her Sailor fuku were dark blue, and the bows on her chest and the small of her back were dark red. Knee length laced boots adorned her feet. But what really got the girls' attention was the impressive pole arm that Mousse had given her.

"I am the Soldier of Destruction, Sailor Saturn." Ranma smiled coldly. "And that is the only speech you will probably hear me make."

Author's Note: The Outer Senshi don't exist in the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon continuity. Both the ending of the series, and the very different nature of the Ginzuishou, precludes their very existence. So I couldn't resist using one of the Outer's as Ranma's pseudo-Senshi identity. I almost went with Pluto, but went with Saturn instead.


	19. Chapter 19

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I own neither PGSM, Ranma ½, nor the translated snippets of the songs quoted below.

Chapter Nineteen – Serenade in the Dark

High on a rooftop, Sailor Saturn and Sailor V watched an interesting chase unfolding below.

"Tuxedo Kamen! Wait!"

Ranma smirked as Sailor Moon pursued the masked man. "She's very determined, isn't she?" She looked at the blonde girl beside her. "I'm still not entire convinced that keeping the two of them separate is the way to go. That is one determined young lady down there."

Sailor V cocked a delicate eyebrow at the woman beside her. "You know her true identity. Would _you_ trust her to find the right balance?"

Ranma frowned. "There is some truth to what you say, but I still think forbidding their relationship is a sure way to drive them closer together. But I will follow your lead in this. She is your responsibility, after all."

Minako tapped her chin thoughtfully. "And he's yours. Are you sure you want to confront him in your condition?"

Sailor Saturn vanished, and was replaced with a black haired woman, carrying a bokken. "Oh yeah. I can think of no better stress relief at a time like this than beating up some jerk. See you soon, Sailor V."

Minako watched her boyfriend/girlfriend/sempai/partner bound off across the roofs after Tuxedo Kamen. She jumped down from the roof into a convenient patch of shadows, and called out, "Don't follow him."

Sailor Moon skidded to a halt. "What? Who's there?" Minako stepped out into the light. "Sailor V?"

"You should stay away from him. He's dangerous. You should think of him as an enemy."

Moon shook her head. "No! He's not!"

"Sailor V!" The girl turned around, and easily recognized Luna. "Are you our princess?"

Rather than answer, Sailor V stepped back into the shadows. As soon as she was out of sight, she jumped back to the rooftops, leaving a dejected Sailor Moon behind.

- + - + -

Ranma smiled in anticipation as the masked man ducked into an alley. He touched his shoulder gingerly. _'Ah, nuts. The guy's hurt. But I haven't had much luck tracking him down, since _he_ at least is guarded with his real identity, so I guess it sucks to be you right now, Tux-boy.'_

Tuxedo Kamen started when Ranma dropped into the alley behind him. She pointed her bokken at the man, and declared. "Tuxedo Kamen… defend yourself!" Giving him barely a moment to prepare, Ranma swung at his head.

Kamen parried with his cane, much to the woman's surprise. He parried her second attack, and even managed a fairly good riposte. A moment later, the battle was joined in earnest. Bokken clashed against cane, in blows that should've been strong enough to splinter both weapons.

There was never any doubt about the outcome. Ranma had ten years of experience fighting creatures far more powerful than Tuxedo Kamen was at this time, which had truly wanted her dead. Before that, sixteen years of intense martial arts had honed her instincts to a razor's edge. Kamen had only dim memories of his past life. A battered Kamen fell to his knees, clutching his side. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I have my reasons," Ranma said with a sneer. "Do you really think you can defend her? Against Beryl? You can't even stand against me."

Kamen charged. The unfortunate man was sent sprawling on the ground.

"That was foolish. Did you really think that reckless sword of yours could hit anyone? Had this been a real fight, I could've run you through."

The masked man unsteadily rose to his feet. Glaring at his foe, he attacked again. Ranma trapped his cane, and drove her forehead into his. The man staggered backwards, his mask falling off. Ranma memorized his features as she shook her head. "You fight like a brawler, not an artist. The way you fight, the only one you'll kill is yourself."

"You… you seem… familiar. Who are you?"

The unknown woman simply smirked and said, "Now that… is a secret." Her work done for the night, Ranma turned and walked away. The part of her that hoped the Master would attack from behind, so that she could pummel the man into unconsciousness, was very disappointed that evening.

When she hit the rooftops, she found Sailor V waiting. "So, was you message delivered?"

"Hai," Ranma said as she transformed back into Sailor Saturn. "Quite thoroughly, but not as completely as I may have wished. And you?"

"Yes, but I doubt it did any good. One more pass, before heading home?"

"After you, my dear."

Sailor V wagged her finger. "Tut tut. My heart belongs to the Dragon Knight, remember?" Minako ran across the rooftop, and leapt up three stories to the next building.

Ranma exhaled in annoyance. "Some days, I don't think going through this time of the month is worth reducing the amount of times I get splashed…"

- + - + -

Ranma and Minako teleported back into their apartment's living room. The two detransformed, still holding their embrace. "I'm going to miss you this weekend, Minako-chan."

"Hai. But I've got a concert to perform. What are you going to do?"

"See if I can contact Zoisite, and hopefully put your devious little idea into play."

- + - + -

Ranma sat at the table in their dining room, a single lit candle before her. The black haired woman stared at the flickering flame, allowing all awareness for the world besides that flame to fall away. After an unknown length of time, Ranma called out, _'Zoisite? Can you hear me? Contact me.'_

It didn't take long for Ranma to get her reply. Ranma snapped out of the light trance she was in as the faint sounds of a piano grew louder. With a ripple, Zoisite's cave was once again superimposed over Ranma's apartment.

Ranma took a good look at the white haired pianist. "You look troubled, my friend."

Zoisite nodded. "Beryl has started giving me orders, and as I feared, I must obey."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Continue trying to awaken the Master. Your last attempt shook something loose…"

"A tooth, at least," Ranma said, impishly.

"…Though he isn't aware of it consciously," the man completed, frowning at her.

"I will. Though I hate to add to your burdens, I do need to run an idea past you…"

- + - + -

Zoisite shook his head as he played. "You are a cruel, cruel woman, Kunzite."

Ranma smiled evilly. "That's what I said to Venus, when she suggested it."

"You're coordinating with the Senshi?"

"Beryl is the real threat, and we both know it. We disagree on whether it would be a good idea to keep the two apart or not. For better or worse, we can't exile the Senshi back to the Moon, so we need to deal with their presence on Earth. Keeping Beryl off balance would really help. So, are you willing to help?" Ranma produced a folder. "I have sheet music," she added sweetly.

"Alright… even if it's just to hear you sing. You always strived to be a warrior poet, but I remember that you constantly lamented that you didn't have a good singing voice." The white haired pianist looked at her seriously. "I may not be able to help much after this stunt. She's bound to keep a tighter reign on me, assuming she doesn't make my life miserable for a very long time."

"That's why it should be your decision."

The pianist played for several minutes, thinking. "It would help if I could see exactly what you're talking about."

Ranma nodded, and then transformed. Seeing Zoisite's expression, Ranma turned around a second time, far more femininely than before, giving Zoisite a good look at her outfit. When she finished, she cocked her head at the stunned man, asking, "Zoisite?"

"Wow…"

"Well?"

"You make a far better woman than any man has a right to."

Ranma cocked an eyebrow. "You do know I had a life before I awakened, don't you? And that I've had a female body a lot longer than I've remembered the past life?"

"Sorry. It's just…"

"I understand. Now, are we going to do this? Or are you going to keep staring at my chest?"

The man blushed. "Sorry. You know, I'm not sure the benefits outweigh the risks, no matter how much I'd love to see Beryl's face." He resumed playing.

Ranma took out a page, and placed it on the piano in front of him. He read it, and said, "Okay… let's do this." As Ranma put the other sheets on the piano, he added, "So… Takeda Megumi, eh?"

Ranma stared at Zoisite in shock.

"You forgot to change your eye color last time. Don't worry, I'll try to keep your secret." Zoisite looked at her directly. "But I do have to tell her the truth if she words her questions carefully."

"Understood."

Zoisite began to play, and Ranma began to sing. Zoisite's enchanted melody was augmented by Ranma's support, both through her power and by her lyrics. Words that had not been heard for uncounted centuries began to fill the caverns of the Dark Kingdom. They weren't in their original language, of course, and they hadn't been lyrics originally, but they held a great deal of meaning to both members of their intended audience.

o/` _A small flower is blooming inside my heart_ o/`  
o/` _The unwithering flower you gave to me,_ o/`  
o/` _I was able to believe strongly enough in myself,_ o/`  
o/` _So I'm not afraid anymore…_ o/`

- + - + -

"Queen Beryl-sama," Nephrite said after he had paid his respects to her. "Why do you tolerate…"

The redheaded, self-proclaimed Queen of the Dark Kingdom frowned at the spiky haired redhead who knelt before her. "Why do I what, Nephrite?"

Her anger increased as the man continued to ignore her. "Nephrite!" He simply stared into space, his head cocked as if listening to a distant voice. She listened as well, and at first all she heard was the incessant piano playing of Zoisite, who refused to leave his own cavern unless she explicitly ordered him to. And then the composition he was playing changed, and she heard it as well.

_o/` If I'm on a road to the end of the world o/`  
__o/` Someday can I meet you again? o/`  
o/` Wimpiness hidden with graciousness o/`  
o/` I'm sorry I let you down o/`_

It was a woman's voice, singing sweetly over the murmurs of Metaria's slumber. She froze in amazement. It was that hateful princess, who had stolen her love from her. It had to be. And now the girl held her subjects in thrall. She rushed out of her throne room. The girl would pay for this affront.

_o/` Looking for the truth o/`  
o/` Since that day o/`  
o/` I've searched the blue sky o/`_

She paused when she saw Jadeite, who also stood frozen, listening. "Jadeite!" The man ignored her. She grabbed the young man's arms, shaking him. "Jadeite! Snap out of it!" She shoved him away, furious. "Zoisite, you shall pay for this treachery! How dare you side with the Moon Princess!"

_o/` Beyond our sadness o/`  
o/` Let's be happy o/`  
o/` The futural world we can't see yet o/`  
o/` Let's go to there in a belief, right? o/`  
o/` We change tearful smiles to brilliances o/`  
o/` I promise, so don't separate off joined hands o/`  
o/` The future is just there o/`_

In a high dudgeon, she stormed in the direction of Zoisite's lair.

- + - + -

When Beryl arrived at Zoisite's cavern, she received a shock. The singer wasn't her hated rival. She was a woman, full grown, with a figure that rivaled her own. The woman wore a long flowing gown, of a style that Beryl had seen often on the ladies of the Earth Kingdom. The intricately laced bodice shoved her bosom up, greatly enhancing her cleavage. Her hair was long and blonde, which flowed freely to the small of her back. A pair of thin braids held her hair out of her face, framing the golden circled cross on her forehead. The sight stole Beryl's voice, leaving her only to gape as words refused to come.

_o/` I think of you, o/`  
__o/` and I feel like that alone is enough o/`  
__o/` to make my heart grow stronger. o/`  
__o/` I always, always wish o/`  
__o/` that these fleeting thoughts o/`  
__o/` would reach you... o/`_

_o/` I think of you o/`  
__o/` and that alone is enough o/`  
__o/` to make the tears start to flow now o/`  
__o/` My distant voice can't reach you now, but so that someday o/`  
__o/` it definitely will... o/`_

_o/` Believe… o/`_

As the woman finished singing, she turned to look at Beryl, a haughty challenge on her face. She smiled pleasantly at the red haired woman, and said, quietly, "Beryl. Did you honestly think I'd let you filch my Shitennou without a fight?" She leaned over, and kissed Zoisite on the cheek. "Thank you, my friend, for tonight. Be well. I will free you all."

Zoisite bowed from the bench, his hand over his heart. "I will always your loyal servant, my Lady."

As the woman began to fade, Beryl had a horrifying epiphany. "Noooooooooooo!"

Author's Note: Because some of you demanded it…

Dramatis Personae

**The Sailor Senshi**

Tsukino Usagi – Sailor Moon – Princess Serenity

Mizuno Ami – Sailor Mercury

Hino Rei – Sailor Mars

Kino Makoto – Sailor Jupiter

**The Dark Kingdom**

Queen Beryl

Jadeite

Nephrite

Zoisite

**The Mavericks**

**Tuxedo Kamen** – Prince Endymion

**Aino Minako** – Sailor Venus – Sailor V – idol singer Aino Minako – pseudo-Princess Serenity

**Saotome Ranma** – Kunzite – Takeda Megumi – Takeda Kappei – Dragon Knight – pseudo-Prince Endymion – Tomoe Hotaru – pseudo-Sailor Saturn – pseudo-_princess_ Endymion

The songs quoted above were, in order:

Undying Flower, ending theme of Full Metal Panic

Michishirube, ending theme of Kashimashi: Girl meets Girl.

My Will, ending theme from the first season of Inu Yasha.


	20. Chapter 20

Spoiled Brats

Author's notes: I'd like to thank the folks at fukufics dot net once again for their C&C. I'm also pretty sure I'm supposed to include some line about not owning either PGSM or Ranma ½, and that I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement, but I'm just not in the mood today.

A couple of people have requested an explanation for the discrepancy between Ranma's appearance, and Kunzite's. There isn't one. In the live-action series, Kunzite has black hair, just like Ranma. Of the Shitennou, only Jadeite maintains a consistent appearance and characterization across all three media.

Chapter Twenty – A Sharp Turn

Ranma faded into her apartment after a grueling two days in the wilderness. It wasn't the two days in the wilderness that was the grueling part. It was spending two days in the wilderness with Tsukino Usagi. It wasn't that the girl complained about the cold, or the hiking, or the physical challenges. It was just that she had a certain way about her that you had a hard time saying "no" to the girl. So when the girl suggested a "pajama" party, Ranma somehow found herself teleporting into town to snacks. And when she suggested they do something with Ranma's hair…

Ranma's musings were cut short when an enthusiastic brunette bundle of energy tackled her, accompanied by a searing kiss. Minako smiled at her and said, "Has anyone told you you're a great sister?"

Ranma blinked at the girl, puzzled. Seeing a certain white stuffed toy cat, the woman asked, "Artemis, what's she talking about?"

"Well, Ranma, Takeda Megumi, Takeda Kappei, and Minako are pretty much on the cover of every celebrity gossip magazine, entertainment magazine, and idol magazine. Most of them seem convinced that Megumi is preparing Minako to marry Kappei when she turns sixteen. Some of them think that she's training Minako as a devil hunter, though."

"Tell him the best part, Artemis!"

"Oh. They're also convinced that Megumi and Li Nyugen are an item."

Minako grinned impishly. "Should I be jealous?"

Ranma got out from under Minako, and helped the girl up. "How did they come to that conclusion?"

"Apparently they interpreted Kappei's 'moving out' as a desire to remove temptation from your relationship. If Megumi and Minako were in a relationship, he would've 'stayed.' Any public signs of affection between Megumi and Minako are because you're practicing for when Minako is older. Oh, and they figured that your familiarity with Li-san meant you were secretly dating."

Ranma shook her head as she headed for the kitchen for hot water. "Man, I'd like to see Mousse's face right now. He's probably freaking over the idea that we're an item."

- + - + -

Mousse fled through an alley in one of worst parts of Hong Kong, shadowy figures pursuing him on either side, a sword clenched in his fist. He slashed horizontally when one of the figures dropped in front of him. The shape evaded the blow, but in doing so it created an opening through which he could flee.

Eventually, though the shadowy forces arrayed against him managed to run him to ground. "So, human. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Surrender the Gekkaja to us, and you will live. Do not lie to us, for we know you have it."

Mousse grimaced as familiar, though now unwelcome, thought came to him. _'Ranma… this is all your fault.'_

- + - + -

Minako cuddled on the sofa with a now male Ranma, a steaming cup of tea in her hand. "So, how did the training trip go?"

Ranma took a sip of tea. "Better than I expected. There was a bit of tension at first between Makoto and Rei, so naturally I paired the two of them off against Usagi and Ami. They also have surprisingly thorough instincts when it comes to martial arts. They simply need to train their bodies to make use of them. I gave them a set of kata to practice at home. I also suggested that they get in the habit of making nightly patrols." Ranma took another sip as he looked at the brunette. "Speaking of which, any activity on the Dark Kingdom front?"

Minako gave him a look of wide-eyed innocence. "How would I possibly know?" She held it for about three seconds. "Alright, I went out on patrol. I didn't think I'd have another spell, and I was the only one here. I didn't want the Dark Kingdom to take advantage of everyone else being absent."

"So?"

"Not a peep, just like last week. Have you heard anything from Zoisite?"

"No… and I'm starting to get worried. I have an awful feeling that something terrible has happened."

- + - + -

Zoisite, chained against the wall of the tiny cell, looked up as the door opened up. It took a while for the man to recognize the silhouette of Beryl. "Why do you resist me, Zoisite? Why do you resist your queen?"

"I serve only one Master, and that is Endymion."

"Tell me what I want to know, Zoisite, and all will be forgiven. Don't you love me?"

"A delusional peasant woman who would rather destroy everything unless she gets her way? Hardly."

She didn't raise a finger. She didn't have to, in order to release the might of Metaria against her prisoner. "Why did you betray me? How did she know where we were? Tell me!"

"You cannot betray one you do not serve. Kunzite has returned to Endymion's service. She has made an alliance with Serenity's guardians. But she still hates _you _with a passion." Zoisite laughed mockingly. "And she knows _exactly_ where you are, my dear… _queen_… Beryl."

Zoisite's mocking laughter followed Beryl from the cell. "Jadeite! Nephrite! Attend me!"

The two men hurried to her side. They remained silent as she strode furiously to her throne room, before the slumbering Metaria. "You two still love me, do you not?"

"Of course, Queen Beryl-sama. I am always your loyal servant," Jadeite hurriedly reassured his queen.

"You have but to speak, and we shall obey, my lady," Nephrite added, with a glare at the blonde haired young man.

"Then if you love me, get me the energy I need. As much as you can, as fast as you can. They will all pay for this affront!"

- + - + -

Minako sighed. "If you don't hear from Zoisite soon, what will you do?"

"Minako, he's my responsibility. Furthermore, if something's happened to him, it's because I put him in danger. If he hasn't contacted me in a few days, then I'll go there in person to make sure he's alright."

"I should come too. It was my idea, after all."

Ranma shook his head. "I'm going to have to do this quietly, like the proverbial ghost. I will need you standing by nearby, though," he added as Minako's expression began to darken. "I'm not stupid enough to take on the entire Dark Kingdom single handedly, Minako."

"Good. When will we go?"

"Wednesday. Too soon, and they'll still be on high alert. Too late, and we won't be able to help at all. I'm afraid you'll have to miss a few days of school."

- + - + -

Ranma's sense of unease increased when she couldn't book a flight into Asahikawa airport. So she booked a flight into Sapporo instead. When she got to Sapporo, she found she couldn't book a private plane to fly them farther north: the Japanese Self-Defense Force had declared central Hokkaido a "no fly zone." Renting a car got them no closer to their goal. All roads leading to Asahikawa were closed, with the military, the _American_ military, making sure they stayed that way.

In the seat beside Ranma, Minako looked nervously at her sempai. "Now what do we do?"

"I think we should…" Ranma trailed off as one of her cell phones went off. She removed Megumi's public phone, looked at the unfamiliar number, and answered. "Hello? This is Takeda Megumi… yes… as a matter of fact, I'm close by." She glanced at Minako as she told the Colonel on the phone their location. "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can." Closing the cell phone, Ranma turned to Minako and said, "Decision time. Something has happened in Asahikawa, and they want Megumi there. It's not hard to figure out what or why. If you go with, you're pretty much going to confirm the suspicion that you're an apprentice devil hunter."

Minako nodded. "It's alright. I am kind of one, aren't I?"

"Good girl. Let's get going." Ranma altered her appearance into Megumi's, turned the car around, and headed for the nearest checkpoint.

- + - + -

Second Lieutenant Sarah Oleson watched as a familiar car approached her checkpoint. _'That must've been Ms. Takeda's car the first time.' _The young woman's unease about the whole situation increased dramatically. She had heard rumors at OCS about magi-ops, and all of them had a distressing tendency to end with most of the normals dying in various messy ways.

The car stopped, and two people climbed out. Even without the forwarded picture, Sarah would've recognized Ms. Takeda. She was a fan of her Mamono Hunter Yohko movies, and it was unnerving that a star like that was a real one. _'I wonder if the movies and anime are fictionalized accounts of Ms. Takeda's actual exploits. It would make a wonderful cover for her activities.' _She looked at the young teen that accompanied the woman. _'So that was why they included Aino Minako's picture. Amazing. Well, if I want to keep the language to Japanese, I better speak first.'_ After Ms. Takeda retrieved a long case from the back seat, the woman and her companion began walking towards them. As she approached, Lt. Oleson snapped to attention, her squad following her lead, and said in perfect Japanese, "Takeda-san? I am Lt. Oleson Sarah. Thank you for coming." She turned her salute to the younger girl. "Aino-san." She held her composure as the civilians glanced at each other, before returning her salute.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Lieutenant," Ms. Takeda said, "But I thought soldiers weren't supposed to salute civilians."

"You would normally be correct, ma'am, but the U.S. military has found it very useful to assign people like yourselves temporary ranks. It really helps cut down on any possible confusion having you in the chain of command. Which is why you've been assigned the temporary rank of major," she said, handing Ms. Takeda a box containing a pair of gold oak leaves. "While Aino-san has been assigned the rank of first lieutenant." She handed the girl a pair of silver bars. "Pin them on the collars of your jackets. Colonel Sanada of the JSDF will brief you at the field H.Q."

- + - + -

"At 0100 hours Monday morning, something attacked this city. The next morning, nearly ten thousand people were discovered in their beds, in unexplained comas. The Ministry of Health contacted the JSDF, and we immediately moved to quarantine this town. There wasn't another attack last night. Takeda-san, by your presence here, I assume you know more than we do."

Ranma nodded. "You're familiar with the attacks in Tokyo?"

"Yes, but they've always been isolated incidents."

"I managed to track the source of them down to the mountains not too far from here. We were on our way up there so that I could do a little reconnaissance, when we ran into your roadblocks." Ranma stared hard at the mountain that hid the Dark Kingdom. She didn't sense anything. "I think they've fled. Colonel, can we get if a lift up the mountain? And some clothing more appropriate for hiking? We left the rest of our luggage in our car."

- + - + -

Minako, dressed in slightly oversized camouflaged fatigues, squeezed her way past a narrow part of the cave. "Was it always this tight?"

Ranma's fatigues fit a bit better than the teen's. "No. The chambers were huge, and the passages wide. Beryl must've been using quite a bit of power to make this cave habitable." Ranma knelt, feeling the echoes of Metaria's presence. "Well… it's official. They're gone, all of them. And they've taken Metaria with them."

Omake, set at the end of Chapter Eighteen:

Hotaru sat smugly beside her father figure as the four Outer Senshi watched the live action adaptation of one of the more popular, and at times eerily accurate, doujinshi featuring the Sailor Senshi. This version of Sailor Saturn was cool, even if she wasn't a _real_ Senshi.

Haruka looked at her adoptive daughter. "How the hell did you rate a cameo?"

"Especially since Ranma's an original character that doesn't appear in the manga," Michiru added, paging through the original manga. "They've certainly taken the original off the rails, haven't they?"

"Especially given how inaccurate the original was in the first place," Setsuna said. "Though I'd love to find out where the mangaka got her information. The plot may have been wrong, but many of the character details were far too accurate for my comfort."

"But Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, you've made a cameo too!"

Michiru looked at her adoptive daughter. "What do you mean, Hotaru-chan?"

"Well, don't you think Ranma and Minako remind you of anyone?"

"Now that you mention it, they do," Setsuna agreed. "A pair of loners, who falsely believe that they, and they alone, are responsible for defending planet."

"One a cross dresser who blurs the line between male and female, who originally worked in a traditionally male-oriented profession, the other a beautiful musician."

"Both far more interested in manipulating the people who should be their allies?"

"Both acting very mature and sophisticated, but keep making boneheaded moves?"

Setsuna nodded. "The next thing you know, they'll perform some Machiavellian stunt that will not only prove to be ineffectual," Setsuna's expression became haughty, "but actually make the situation a lot worse."

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other, sharing the same thought. _'You make one or two little mistakes...'_


	21. Chapter 21

Spoiled Brats

Author's Notes: This time of year is murder when you work in retail, so I'm afraid my speed is starting to slow down. I'm taking it in the chin from real life right now. :( On a positive note, two more chapters to go until I reach the 50,000-word mark, minus author's notes, disclaimers, and other non-story related material. :)

Chapter Twenty-One – Coming Clean

Artemis looked up as the apartment door opened. He frowned when he saw two depressed figures slowly walk through the door. Minako appeared to be near tears. "What happened?"

Ranma frowned. "I've been seriously underestimating Beryl. Or maybe Jadeite… he may have been the youngest of us, but he had the gift of taking the long view."

Minako picked up Artemis and sat down heavily on the couch as she hugged him. "Ten thousand people…"

Artemis stared at Ranma in alarm. "What exactly happened?"

"Somehow, the Dark Kingdom drained the energy of nearly ten thousand residents of Asahikawa, the nearest major city to their former lair, in a single night, probably in less than an hour. Then they fled, taking Metaria with them. There would be no way for them to attack that many people in that short a time, without a legion of youma, and we've never seen more than three active at once. Which means an energy trap of some kind. And those take a long time to set up.

"The worst thing is that I should've seen this coming. Beryl has been awake at least a year, and Jadeite at least six months, but they didn't begin their attacks until two months ago. Furthermore, it's nearly a thousand kilometers to Tokyo from their lair, and they've been able to teleport back and forth without difficulties. That requires a _lot_ of power, more than they could've possibly have gotten through their attacks to date. Most of their power _must_ have been coming from Asahikawa, through said energy trap, probably set at a very low level."

Ranma shook her head. "The Ministry of Health has been trying to track down an outbreak of some mysterious disease there for four months, trying to figure why there were so many reports of fatigue coming from the local doctors. When three percent of the population of Hokkaido's second largest city suddenly dropped into comas in a single night, naturally officials took notice. They had the army quarantine the city, which was the situation Minako and I walked into."

Artemis, from his place in Minako's arms, asked, "But if Beryl was able to get the energy she needed from Asahikawa, why attack Tokyo?"

"Because the Ginzuishou is in Tokyo, they know it as well as we do, and Beryl was trying to draw us out so she could take it," Minako answered. "We all thought we were beating the Dark Kingdom, but all we did was bump off a few pawns intended to draw us out into the open, where we can be found."

"So now what?"

"We wait until the Dark Kingdom sets up shop again, and renews their campaign in Tokyo," Ranma replied. "Japan and the United States, and their allies, all know the signs, but if Beryl had any brains at all, she'd set up in a part of the world isolated enough to be hard to reach, close enough to a sizable population for operational energy, and hostile to Japan and her allies." The auburn haired woman looked down at her hands. "Beyond that, I don't know what to do. It'll probably take at least two months for Beryl to renew her operations, and it's more likely to take four or six. By that time, Minako may be…"

"I may be dead," Minako finished for her. "And there will be no crisis to awaken the Princess in the meantime."

"I can create one," Ranma said darkly, clenching her fists. "If we need a villain for Usagi to wake up to her birthright, then by the gods, I will become one."

"Or the two of you could do something radical like telling the truth for once," Artemis said quickly, cutting off Ranma's line of thought. "I mean, we are all supposed to be on the same side, aren't we?"

- + - + -

Furuhata Motoki fed his turtle Kamekichi a bit of lettuce as he waited for school to get out. This was always a very slow time of the day, and extremely boring. But at least it gave him time to do his homework. "Hey, Kamekichi-kun. Do you think the girls…" He trailed off as he realized that he had two customers at the counter. "Welcome to Crown Karaoke…" Unable to finish his speech, he waved the two ladies into the establishment.

It wasn't every day two major idols showed up to sing karaoke. Especially when they had a one-year pass to the place. Aino Minako's stuffed animal also seemed somewhat familiar, for some reason. "Hey, Kamekichi-kun. What do you suppose that was about?" The turtle pulled his head into his shell. "Right. It's better not to be nosy."

- + - + -

"Nervous?"

"Hai, Minako-chan. You don't know any of them besides Mizuno-san, but I've been working closely with them for several weeks now. They're going to be mad."

Minako shook her head. "I don't think Tsukino-san will. Everything I know about her says she has a good heart. She'll forgive you. And Ami-chan will follow her lead."

"Ami-chan?"

Minako shrugged. "We've shared more than a few elevator rides in the morning, since we live across the hall and we both need to leave early for school. We're neighbors, so I insisted that we should be familiar with each other. I think you'll have the most trouble with Hino-san."

"Yes. She's the most serious of the four, and from what I've seen she holds grudges. She's already holding one from our initial introduction. This will make it worse."

"What about Kino-san?"

Ranma rocked her hand uncertainly. "She could go either way. She definitely respects her Tomoe-sensei, but she's almost as guarded as Hino."

Artemis glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough. Unless Tsukino-san has detention again, then they'll be here soon."

- + - + -

Rei looked at her watch in irritation. "They're late again."

Makoto ignored the auburn haired girl beside her. "Usagi-chan was on cleanup detail again for being late. Ami-chan volunteered to help, as usual. They'll be along shortly."

"She is so irresponsible sometimes."

Makoto smiled. "Did you ever consider that she might be putting on an act so that it looks like everything's normal?"

The pair glanced at each other, and broke up laughing.

"What's so funny, Rei-chan?" Usagi asked as came running up, Ami keeping pace behind her.

"Nothing. You're late."

The girl with twin ponytails bowed. "Sorry! Haruna-sensei is so unreasonable sometimes. I was only two minutes late!"

Rei looked at the purple plush toy cat in Usagi's book bag. "Luna, can't you wake her up on time for a change?"

"I've tried, Rei-chan," the cat said morosely. "Kami-sama knows I've tried."

The four girls presented their passes to Furuhata-san, the faint blush on Usagi's cheeks not going unnoticed by the other three.

Rei, first through the door to the Senshi's headquarters, received a shock. For the second time in a month, someone had gotten in. She didn't recognize one of them, but the other was very familiar to the young miko.

With a squeal that would've done Usagi proud, she bolted down the stairs, gushing out, "You're Takeda Megumi! I've seen all your movies, even the ones you did stunts for! I have all your albums! Can I get your autograph?" Suddenly aware that the eyes of her friends were on her, Rei squared her shoulders, raised her head, and in her most mature voice said, "That is, it is very nice to meet you, Takeda-san."

- + - + -

After a brief delay where Usagi repeated Rei's performance, only over Minako, the subject turned to what the pair of them were doing in a place that didn't exist in normal space.

"Before we begin," Ranma said, as all six of them sat around the table, "I think I should properly introduce myself. If you will excuse me for a second?"

Ranma reached under the table and removed a duffle bag. She placed a makeup mirror and a contact lens case on the table, and, after washing her hands, removed both colored contact lenses. As the four girls and purple cat watched, she took out a plastic bottle and with Minako's help, began to work the contents into her hair. This wasn't strictly necessary, since Ranma could easily change her hair color on her own, but Ranma had decided that stripping away Megumi's identity physically would be easier for the other girls to accept.

When Minako applied a towel afterwards, the towel was stained a rusty brown, and Ranma's hair was back to its natural black color. The girl braided Ranma's hair, and then looped the braid into several coils at the nape of her neck. A change in posture completed the metamorphosis.

Usagi stared at the transformed woman before her. "Tomoe-sensei?"

Ranma shook her head. "My name is Saotome Ranma, and we're sorry about this."

- + - + -

Rei glared at the two women across the table as they told their story. "Why the hell should we believe anything the two of you say? You've been lying to us!"

Makoto looked at the two dejected figures beside her. "I don't think they've been lying to _us_, really. They've been putting on an act for the Dark Kingdom, trying to confuse them, making them think there are more of us than there are, and drawing them away from our princess with a fake one. Naturally it would be a lot easier to do if we didn't know the truth, because our reactions would be more natural."

"Besides, they're telling us the truth now, aren't they Rei-chan?" Usagi said firmly. "So we should forgive them, right, Ami-chan?"

Ami nodded, before frowning at them over her glasses. "Something bad happened, didn't it?"

Ranma nodded. "Yes. Our latest effort to sow confusion among the enemy was to try to convince Beryl that Endymion had been reincarnated as a woman."

Luna blinked at the two. "What made you think of that?"

Artemis asked, "Does the name Kunzite ring a bell?"

"Of course. He was the captain of the Prince's guardians, which probably means that he's one of Beryl's people too."

"Well, she's sitting right there."

As the four girls stared at Ranma, she observed, "Artemis, maybe we should've started at the beginning?"

- + - + -

"My head hurts."

"Ami-chan, if your head hurts, how do you think mine feels?" Usagi asked.

Rei rolled her eyes at the pair. "Now that we know who's who, and what gender, perhaps you would care to enlighten us on why you decided to end this charade?"

"You've all heard about Asahikawa, haven't you?" Ranma asked.

Only Ami nodded. "There was some kind of epidemic, and the city had to be quarantined."

"It wasn't a disease, it was the Dark Kingdom. We don't know why, but the idea of 'princess' Endymion spooked Beryl so badly, that she decided she didn't want to be on the same island chain with her. They attacked the city to get the energy necessary to move, leaving about ten thousand in comas in the process."

Three of the four girls stared at Ranma in horror. Rei, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes as she asked, "They've never operated on that scale before."

"They have been, just not in Tokyo. Their attacks in Tokyo weren't just to get energy. Their primary goal was to draw out the Senshi in general, and your princess in particular. Their objective is the Ginzuishou, after all." Ranma sighed. "It would take them decades to get enough energy from normal humans to wake Metaria up, assuming they operated as discretely as they did in Asahikawa before they moved. It'll probably take them at least two months, probably longer, before they're ready to renew their attacks. And we no longer have the advantage of knowing where they are. Nor can we keep the constant state of alert necessary to react instantly to their renewed attempts to obtain the Ginzuishou."

"There's also the real Prince Endymion. Beryl's after him as well, so we need to find him and awaken him too," Minako added. "Plus Zoisite was an ally we had in the Dark Kingdom, and we haven't heard from him since Ranma pulled her Endymion impression. He's probably a prisoner, or worse."

"Wonderful. Do you two have any other good news?"

"Hai," Minako said. She took a deep breath, and said, "I have cancer. Without the Ginzuishou and an awakened princess, I've only got six months to live."

"Great! So all we need to do is find the princess, and Minako-chan can be saved!" Usagi declared enthusiastically. The girl looked around the table. "Um… why are you all staring at me like that for?"


	22. Chapter 22

Spoiled Brats

Author's Notes: If you're a fan of fantasy role-playing games, I recommend "Order of the Stick," a hilarious webcomic which demonstrates what stick figures can be like when someone puts a lot attention to detail into them.

One more chapter to go, and I'll have reached the 50,000-word mark. I've got about 2100 words of authors notes, omake, and other non-story related material.

And, of course, tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the States, which means that Friday is Black Friday at work, the day everyone working retail (like me) dreads. So there won't be another update until Saturday. Assuming I don't get killed by a customer stampede.

Oh, by the way, Kobuta means piglet. There's absolutely no reason why you need to know this information. *whistles innocently*

Chapter Twenty-Two – Rest and Relaxation aka The Torment of Chiba Mamoru

Ranma was making breakfast for one the Saturday morning following their coming clean with the other Senshi when the buzzer went off. She moved to the intercom and switched on the view screen. Standing outside the building was Tsukino Usagi. _'She must be here to see Ami, and hit the wrong button. Either that, or she wants to surprise the girl.'_ Seeing no reason not to, Ranma buzzed the girl in.

Ranma was surprised when a few minutes later, her doorbell rang. She opened the door, saying, "Come in, Tsukino-san. Is there a problem?"

"No, Takeda-san, and please call me Usagi. Tsukino-san's my mom."

"Okay, Usagi-chan. And you can call me Megumi. Or Ranma if you prefer, but _only_ in private."

"Hai, Megumi-san. Um… can I talk to Hotaru-san?"

Ranma opened her mouth to say something, but decided that explaining wasn't worth the effort. Instead, she went tomboy.

Usagi gaped excitedly. "Sugoi. You have a Luna Cell Phone too!"

"Luna Cell phone?"

"Hai! Look." Usagi took out her cell phone, and started pressing buttons. Each time a button was pressed, the girl changed outfits, and sometimes hairstyles as well.

"That must be pretty convenient, Usagi-chan, but I don't have a cell phone like that. But I must say your method looks a lot easier than mine. By the way, you wanted to ask me something?"

"Oh, hai. Hotaru-san, would you like to come with Mako-chan and me to the amusement park today?"

Completely stunned, Ranma pointed at herself and said, "Me?"

"Hai. I have three tickets, only they expire today, but Naru-chan is out of town and Ami-chan wanted to do some research. Rei-chan said she was busy, but she said she knew that Minako-chan was out of town this weekend too, so you might not have something to do. So do you want to go?"

"Sure. Why not?" _'I guess the girls really have forgiven us for deceiving them. Even Rei.'_

- + - + -

Hino Rei happily sat in her pajamas, eating candy and watching the Devil Hunter Yohko marathon on T.V. She had _really_ dodged a bullet this time. She had seen Motoki-kun give Usagi those tickets, and she recognized a group date setup when she saw one, and this particular one had disaster written all over it. _'Have fun on your little date, Ranma,'_ Rei thought smugly. _'And I'll call it even.'_

- + - + -

Ranma smiled when she saw Kino Makoto waiting by the gate. The girl smiled back at Ranma, then turned to Usagi and said, "I thought you were going to ask Rei-chan."

"Rei-chan said she couldn't make it, but she suggested Hotaru-san might want to come."

Makoto's question to Usagi caused Ranma's left eyebrow to arch. "You do realize that Motoki-kun's friends are probably his age, don't you?"

Usagi looked at her taller friend blankly. "Huh?"

Ranma pinched her nose. "Usagi, this Motoki asked you out on a group date, you and two of your friends with him and two of his."

Ranma watched as understanding sunk in. "Oh. Sorry, Hotaru-san." Embarrassed, Usagi backed up to bow, and into another person. She turned to apologize, until she saw who it was. "You again!"

"You really are following me, Kobuta-chan."

"It's not Kobuta! It's Usagi! U-sa-gi!"

'_Kami-sama, I must be doing something right after all. It's the Tuxedo's civilian identity.'_ Ranma stepped up, and with a evil grin, said, "Would you introduce us to your friend, Usagi-chan?"

Ranma had the satisfaction of watching all the blood drain out of her prince's face. "You!!!"

Makoto glanced from the evilly grinning woman to the nearly terrified man. "You know each other?"

Ranma's predatory smile never left her face. "We faced off against each other in Kendo once, but we've never been formally introduced." She offered the man her hand. "Tomoe Hotaru, at your service."

"Chiba Mamoru," the man replied, grasping her forearm unconsciously in reply.

"Don't worry, Chiba-san. I left my sword at home."

The arrival of two other young men broke the tension. "Ah! Mamoru-kun! I see you've already met Usagi-chan and her friend. Who's this?"

Usagi stepped forward, "Oh, this is my friend Tomoe Hotaru. Hotaru-san, this is Furuhata Motoki-kun. And you already know Kino Makoto-chan."

"Nice to meet you." Motoki turned to introduce the last member of their party, a young man in a rather ugly looking orange striped sweater with a turtle-shaped rucksack. "This is my fellow turtle enthusiast, Morimoto Takae-kun. The three of us go to the same college."

Ranma watched the body language between Mamoru and Usagi. _'This could be fun after all. Apparently the prince and princess don't recognize each other in their mundane forms, and actually find each other annoying. And Usagi has a thing for Motoki, too.'_

"Oh, here. I finally finished fixing this for you." Motoki handed Mamoru a bag. "What on earth did all that damage, anyways?"

Mamoru glanced at Ranma. "I, uh, had a little accident at work."

"Mamoru-kun, I can't think of any job that requires you to wear that, and still do all that damage…"

- + - + -

In the end, they decided to pair off by playing Jan Ken Pon. This left Ranma paired with Motoki, Takae paired off with Makoto, and Usagi paired up with Mamoru, much to the latter pair's discomfort and Ranma's secret amusement. After the girl's third longing gaze at Ranma's "date," though, she took pity on Usagi, and traded partners.

Mamoru watched as Usagi took Motoki's arm, and he guided them towards the park entrance. "Oh, so that's what this is all about." The man glanced at Ranma nervously, uncertain on whether it would be safe to offer the woman his arm. Ranma took it anyways, giving the man mischievous grin that didn't reassure him any.

Behind them, Makoto looked dubiously at her partner, who had a nervous case of the hiccups.

- + - + -

"Relax, Mamoru-kun. I needed to evaluate your skills, and you are a very hard man to track down," Ranma said as the two of them lagged behind the others, a little windblown from the roller coaster. "Now that I have a name and a face, that won't be a problem anymore."

"How do you know Tsukino-san, anyways?"

"I live across the hall from one of her friends, and she was desperate to find a third. And will you relax and enjoy the day?" Ranma turned her amused gaze to Makoto and her date, who was still hiccuping. "You laugh at the antics of your friends, while I laugh at the girls. This is supposed to be fun, after all."

"Hai."

- + - + -

"I think there's going to be two disappointed young men by the day is done, Mamoru-kun."

"Huh?"

"Takae-kun is clearly not impressing his date, and I've seen the dance performed enough times to tell that the chemistry isn't there between Usagi-chan and Motoki-kun."

"Oh. You know, Hotaru-san, I could take a turn on the oars."

Ranma pulled hard on the oars as the boat almost skipped across the water, Mamoru holding on for dear life. "Now where would the fun be in that?" Ranma asked as she prepared for a hairpin turn to start their third lap across the lake. When it was completed, she looked at the shore, where the tall girl was patting the boy on his back, in an effort to stop his hiccups. "You know, it's still not too late to switch over to Makoto-chan."

"No, it wouldn't be fair to Takae-kun." Mamoru hastily added, "I mean, it's his first date, and I wouldn't want to ruin it for him. I mean…"

"Relax, Mamoru-kun. I've put my foot in my mouth enough times to recognize that something didn't come out right. We'll give the man a chance woo the lovely Makoto."

- + - + -

Ranma took pity on Makoto, and suggested the house of mirrors, where at least the girl and the still hiccupping young man could come with. The poor girl had missed out on the roller coasters and most of the other rides because of her companion.

Somewhere along the line, she had gotten separated from her prince, and the mirror maze was beginning to piss her off. She had managed to convince herself not to blast a hole to the exit for the third time, when she stumbled upon Furuhata Motoki, who didn't look at all well.

"Motoki-kun?" The man nodded, still looking green. "Claustrophobia?" He nodded again. "Let's get you out of here."

Ranma closed her eyes, and then pushed her ki out in a circle around her, feeling the shape of the maze. After several pulses, she had a route out of the maze. _'I wonder what happened to Usagi…'_

- + - + -

"Takae-kun?"

Makoto was not having fun. It wasn't Takae's fault, she reminded herself for the fifth time today, but the poor guy was clearly nervous around girls to the point of being incapacitated. They didn't even go into the House of Mirrors. She also didn't blame Ranma for monopolizing Chiba-san. Whatever was going on between the two of them, it clearly wasn't romantic. She only had to look at Ranma and Minako together to see that the two were perfect for each other. They practically completed each others sentences at times.

Unfortunately, Takae had wandered off to try another hiccup remedy, and he hadn't returned. She didn't think he'd ditched her, but she was starting to get worried, which was why she'd gone looking for him.

She found him near a bandstand, looking down at the stage below. "Takae-kun? Are you okay?" She stared down into the bandstand herself, at several motionless clowns below, and at the mothers who were trying to flee with crying children. _'No! It can't be! Youma?'_ She grabbed the man's arm, and began pulling him away. "Takae-kun, let's get out of here! Takae-kun?"

It took her several seconds to realize that Takae was no longer hiccupping in her presence, and by then it was too late. The man placed a hand on her abdomen, and she felt her energy drain away. As Takae ran in pursuit of the fleeing women and children, Makoto tried to summon the energy necessary to get her cell phone, and call Usagi and the new number on her speed dial, Ranma.

- + - + -

"Saturn Power, Make Up!" '_Dammit! I've totally underestimated them again.' _Ranma thought after she'd summoned her Sailor Saturn disguise. Sailor Moon met her, and the two of them rather quickly found Makoto, collapsed in a nearby amphitheatre, along with several dozen other people. _'It must still be nearby.'_

Someone screamed, and a teenaged boy stumbled into view. In pursuit was a young man in a rather familiar, and quite ugly, orange striped sweater. He grabbed the boy, who collapsed as his energy was drained.

Makoto summoned the strength to point, and said, "Ruck…"

Ranma looked at Takae's back, and saw the man's turtle-shaped rucksack looked like a tick swollen with blood. Even as Ranma and Sailor Moon moved to intercept the young man, a scarecrow like youma emerged from its host. It removed up the puffed up rucksack from the man's back, drew a sword, and began running away.

In a single leap, Ranma got ahead of the youma, her glaive at the ready. Sailor Moon blocked off its retreat. The woman attacked, thankful that Mousse had chosen a pole-arm that handled just like a staff. Ranma easily batted the sword out of its hand, but the youma proved to be a little tougher than she expected. Thankfully, Sailor Moon decided that she didn't want to get anywhere near the whirling dervish of flashing metal that was Ranma.

Eventually, Ranma found an opening. A razor-sharp arc of energy, one of Kunzite's more devastating attacks, emerged from the edge of the blade, and bisected the youma.

'_What the hell?'_ Ranma thought, as the youma failed to explode like normal. Instead, two halves of a cloth wrapped bundle of straw hit the floor.

"Moon Twilight Attack!" Sailor Moon unleashed her attack at a target behind Ranma, which turned out to be the actual youma. This one exploded properly. Sailor Moon looked proudly at the older woman, and said, "It's done that before."

Ranma arced an eyebrow at the girl. "You've fought one like that before?"

"I've fought this one before," the girl explained, her proud expression starting to slip. "I… uh… kind of let it escape the first time," the blushing girl elaborated.

Ranma walked up to the over inflated rucksack, and popped it with her glaive. _'If this was an escaped youma, then maybe Beryl's not ready to attack after all.' _Ranma watched the energy rush back to the victims of the youma's attack. _'But then again, how many other youma are out there, operating independent of the Dark Kingdom's guidance? We don't dare get complacent. There's too much at stake…'_

_- + - + -_

"You actually thought Motoki-kun was Tuxedo Kamen?" Makoto asked playfully, as they walked towards the station.

"Hai… but I didn't feel the same way I do when I'm near Tuxedo Kamen. I wish I knew who he was."

Following behind the pair of chatting girls, Ranma shook her head. _'I'm halfway tempted to introduce the pair to each other out of costume, but it's a lot more fun to watch the show.'_ Ranma paused as a sudden thought hit her. _'I wonder if this is how Cologne felt, watching our antics. She always looked like she was having fun.'_

- + - + -

"You wanted to see me, Great Grandmother?"

"Ah, yes, Shampoo," the wizened old woman said. "I want you to see something." The woman guided the seasoned Amazon warrior into her house. She opened the door, revealing the battered human form within.

"Who is that… is that Mousse?"

"Indeed. It seems he's made quite a name for himself within the Hong Kong film industry. He was attacked, but managed to make it to one of our safe houses before he collapsed. He told the warriors there several disturbing things, including that Saffron is nearing his time of ascension once again, and that the warriors of Mount Phoenix are searching for their lost talismans. But far more disturbing is that he also revealed the location of a certain wayward young man."

Shampoo rolled her eyes. "Great Grandmother, surely you don't expect me to pursue Ranma after all this time."

"No I don't, Shampoo. That part of your life should remain behind you. I need you to do something far more difficult."

"What is it?"

"Several foolish young warriors have already departed for Tokyo, in pursuit of their families' vendetta. I need you to stop them. By any means necessary. If Saffron is indeed seeking ascension, then we need Ranma with us, not against us."


	23. Chapter 23

Spoiled Brats

Author's Notes: Well, this is it. With this chapter, I've passed the 50,000 word mark… and with a few days to spare! Don't worry, I won't abandon this fic, but I will be slowing down. Once this month is over, and probably one or two more chapters, since this one is running long, I'll definitely need to decompress. ^_^;

Thanksgiving went as usual. I ate too much, entertained my niece and nephew and their cousins, and went home early so I could wake up at 2am for work. I've once again survived Black Friday. We had one fight between customers, many who were pushing and shoving, and there was apparently a gang of thieves operating in the area, breaking into the cars of people who bought high-end electronics and put it in their back seats, rather than their trunks. Ye Gods, I love the holidays...

On a positive note, I had enough energy to post the next chapter today, instead of Saturday. ^_^

Chapter Twenty-Three – Encounters and Meetings, part One

"Mi-na-ko…"

Ranma, a stuffed toy cat watching from her shoulder in amusement, used her hair to tickle the sleeping girl's nose. The girl absently waved her hand in front of her nose as she turned over in her sleep.

Ranma brushed the girl's brown hair away from her ear. "Mi-na-ko," she breathed into it.

The girl turned her head, blinking at her roommate. "Ranma?" She sat up, squinting at her alarm clock. "It's only four. If you're going to wake me up at four in the morning, then at least do it as a guy."

"Your bedroom is female only, remember?"

"Whose bright idea was that?"

"Yours."

"Oh yeah. So why are you waking me up at this hour?"

Ranma winked. "I've got a surprise for you. Come on, sleepy head, and close your eyes."

- + - + -

"Okay, open them."

Minako opened her eyes, and stared at the large room she was standing in. It was clearly dojo. A rack of wooden practice weapons stood at the far end, near a door with an advertising poster for Crown Karaoke. On the left were two curtained doorways, with the kanji for "male" and "female" at either end. On the right was over a half dozen doors. When she turned, she saw a single open door, through which she saw their living room.

"What?"

Artemis beamed proudly from his perch on Ranma's shoulder. "It took a while, but I was finally able to borrow enough space for a project of Ranma's."

"We needed a proper dojo," Ranma explained. "We don't want to practice in the open, after all, and you've reached the point where we can't practice in the living room anymore, even with the privacy wards. The dojo has a link to your headquarters at the Crown, and the doors will eventually link up to the girls' homes, and Juuban Junior High and Thomas Aquinas Catholic School."

Minako pointed at the curtained doorways. "Are those proper men's and ladies baths?"

Ranma nodded.

"Ooh! Let's go look!" Minako pulled Ranma into the lady's bath. "Hey! We've got lockers!" The girl ran her hand along the row of lockers, each marked with the sigil of one of the Senshi: Moon, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

Minako rubbed her chin, thinking. "Aren't those out of order?"

"Of course not. The Princess, the leader of her guardians, the rest of the guardians, and one fake Senshi." Seeing Minako's look, Ranma explained, "She still hasn't put two and two together yet, and while I agree that she should figure it out on her own, I'm not going to risk your life like that without giving Usagi a few hints."

"Okay. Let's look at the actual bath." Minako pulled Ranma through the curtain opposite the doorway to the dojo. "Wow! We're outdoors!"

"Not really, most of it's just an illusion. So don't think you can play tag in here."

Minako peered at the wooden wall, which had a little door close to one end. "What's that?"

"That connects to the men's bath. And you'll notice that it bars from both sides. That way, if we want, we can chat through the fence without shouting."

"You can join us, you know."

"Minako, I have every intention of giving my prince access to this place… once he decides to join forces with us, that is. And if we can free the others, they'll have access to this place too."

"Really? Then…"

Ranma once again found herself being pulled along behind Minako. "Minako, that's the men's side."

"I just want to take a look. There's no one here right now, you said so." She looked at the lockers. She pointed at the circled cross. "I take it that's the sigil for Earth?" Ranma nodded. "What's with the gemstones?"

"Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite," Ranma recited, pointing at each semi-precious gemstone in order.

"Oh, of course."

Ranma gently guided Minako back to the dojo. "You've reached the point where I think you can take over the Senshi's practice. I'll leave it up to you to arrange their morning schedule. The board is over there."

Minako looked at the schedule. "What's with this mask symbol all over the… I keep forgetting your prince is a thief."

"Minako, he's searching for the Ginzuishou too. He's returned every single thing he's stolen to the police. I've checked." _'Besides, his family was wealthy, as is his foster family,'_ Ranma added silently.

"Okay, I'll let it pass. But why is his practice time all over the place… including fifteen minutes from now?"

"Because I'm trying to train his danger sense, including when he's asleep. You'll notice I left 6:30 to 7:30 open for your girls' practice time. They're at the stage that consistency is more important. It's also why I got you up this early. You deserved to see the Dojo first, and Artemis just finished. I also figured you might want to watch his first practice session."

The pair looked at each other, identical grins on their faces.

- + - + -

"_Please… you must find the Ginzuishou!" The slender silhouette pleaded, the details of the woman's appearance hidden by the brilliant white light behind her. A second silhouette, a cloaked man, joined her, taking her hand. "Please, find it," the woman pleaded again._

Chiba Mamoru stirred restlessly in his sleep. It was a familiar dream, one that had haunted his dream night after night.

"Endymion, this is your wakeup call," a second, but equally familiar female voice said, interrupting the dream.

"_I'd wake up, if I were you," an amused male voice recommended._

Mamoru woke up just as a firm hand grabbed his own, and threw him through the open door. Unlike the previous four mornings, he managed to land on his feet, catching the bokken that Tomoe-san tossed at him. "You're improving, Mamoru-kun."

"Dammit, Tomoe-san! It's five in the morning! Why are you doing this to me?"

"I've told you. You're involved in this, and I'm going to do my best to ensure that both you and the girls survive this. So defend yourself!" The black haired woman rushed forward, her bokken held high.

Once again, Mamoru found himself in a fight not for his life, but for his dignity and his unbruised state. He had always prided himself in his kendo skill, he was even captain of his team in high school, but the woman fought at an entirely different level. Only his developing abilities allowed him to even keep up.

Not to mention that the way she fought would've violated every rule in an actual kendo match. But as she said, they weren't playing a sport. They were fighting for their lives, and the monsters he'd seen didn't exactly play fair either. Her next maneuver was a classic example. She jumped up, wrapping her legs around his neck and twisting her body to throw him off balance.

There was very brief sensation of vertigo, and suddenly the floor of his living room seemed a lot farther away than it should be. It didn't look quite right, either. It was hard wood, for one thing, while he had carpeting. Mamoru landed heavily, and as he got up, he saw a somewhat familiar pair of blue high-heeled shoes. His gaze moved on to a pair of shapely calves, and then up to…

"Enjoying the view?"

Mamoru's gaze jerked up to a pair of blue eyes, hidden behind the red mask of Sailor V. The blonde girl smiled impishly as she said, "I'd move if I were you." As he lay there, trying to process what, exactly, had happened, something rapped him on the top of his head, and the world went dark. The last thing he remembered was her saying, "Oops. Too late."

- + - + -

"What do you think?"

Ranma looked up from the stove to take a good look at Minako after her bath. "I think I liked your old uniform. It had more style."

"Me too. But but the bow is cute."

"You do realize that Usagi's likely to be rather distracted by your presence, don't you?"

The girl shrugged. "She'll grow out of it, eventually. We're teammates, after all."

"She's your princess."

"And she still hasn't put it together yet. Besides, you're a fine one to talk, given how you're treating your prince." Minako smiled winsomely at the black-haired woman. "That was a very dirty trick to play on him. So, going out as Hotaru again?"

"It's Saturn's turn for the daylight patrol."

"Ranma, you're the only one doing the daylight patrol, so why do you keep switching back and forth like that?" Artemis asked from behind his laptop.

"Saturn and the Dragon Knight are already on the board, so it doesn't make sense not to play them." Ranma took off her apron, and served breakfast. "Any interesting news on the 'Net?"

"None at all. If Beryl is active, she's doing it somewhere where there isn't Internet access." The stuffed toy cat sighed. "Too bad we don't have a super computer or something to do this for us. Google's a great help, but I can't help but think a dedicated computer and program would yield better results."

"I have a meeting with Colonel Sanada of the JSDF and Colonel Anderson of the U.S. army this afternoon. I'll see if there's anything they can do to help." Ranma shook her head. "Unfortunately, I think we'll be stuck reacting to the Dark Kingdom, rather than acting against them."

"Well, I'm off." Minako kissed Ranma. "Have fun."

"You're leaving now?"

"Hai. I want to catch Ami-chan before she leaves. It's almost tradition to walk together until the library. Then we'll surprise Usagi-chan. Bye-bye!"

- + - + -

"Good morning, Minako-san."

Minako rolled her eyes, "You're still too formal, Ami-chan."

"Sorry," Ami apologized. "Is that the Juuban seifuku?"

"Yep." Minako pressed the elevator button. "As of today, I'll be going to school with the rest of you."

"I can't wait to see Usagi-san's face when she sees you in class."

"You won't have to wait, since I intend to go with you to meet her." Minako made a face. "But I'm in a different class than you and Usagi-chan, or Mako-chan."

"Oh."

The pair walked silently until they reached Tokyo Metropolitan General Library. Unlike usual, Minako accompanied the bookish girl, rather than moving on. "I've always been curious. Isn't it closed this early in the morning?"

"Hai. But there's a pavilion nearby, and that's where my book club meets."

"Book club?"

- + - + -

Minako shook her head as she followed her friend. _'If any those people were under sixty, I'd be surprised.' _"That was… rather interesting, Ami-chan."

"Isn't it? They're all so knowledgeable. You're so lucky that we'll be starting a new book tomorrow…" Ami saw the girl's face. "You didn't have fun, did you?"

"No. I may revere my elders as fonts of wisdom, but there's someone else I'd like to spend the morning with." Minako's wink caused the shy girl to blush. "Do you leave the library at that time everyday?"

"Hai."

"Then I'll meet you there, then." She noticed that they weren't heading to school. "I thought we were meeting up with Usagi-chan."

"We are."

"Then why are we going…" Minako tackled the young genius, as a couple of large winged creatures came hurtling at them. There was a rush of wind, and something tugged at the back of her jacket. She quickly shrugged out of the garment as she was pulled off the ground.

She hit the ground and rolled to her feet, ready to transform, when a figure in a dark blue and white seifuku appeared in midair above the winged youma. Sailor Saturn dove strait towards the winged humanoid's back, unleashing a blade of light from her glaive at the second youma, who was diving towards the girls again. The blade sliced off its wing, sending it tumbling into the ground nearby. The woman twisted in midair, and landed feet first on the first youma's back, driving it into the ground with a sickening crunch.

Ami called out, "Behind you!" Saturn whipped around, erecting a barrier against the flock of birds that had been diving at her back. The avian barrage smashed against Saturn's shield, leaving a pile of stunned or dead feathered bodies at the woman's feet.

"Dammit, she's disappeared already," Saturn muttered as she scanned the sky. She turned to look at the two stunned girls, saying, "One of you had better call an ambulance and the police."

Minako looked at her girlfriend in confusion. "What? Why?"

"Because those weren't youma."

Ami stared in horror at the bleeding and moaning bodies of their two attackers.

- + - + -

Zoisite looked up as someone opened his cell. "Ah, the lady returns once again. And what will be the subject of your rant today, oh false queen?"

"Zoisite… why do you continue to resist me? If you would just open your heart to me, you would be free to deliver Endymion from that horrid girl's influence. Have you seen what she has done to him? She has warped his body as she has warped his mind."

The prisoner stared at Beryl in shock. "You're mad!"

"No… I merely see things more clearly than most." Beryl smiled at her prisoner. "And soon, so shall you."

- + - + -

"Usagi-chan, we're going to be late."

"Ami-chan will be here any minute, Naru-chan," the pony tailed girl said. "I don't want to miss her."

"Usagi-chan, Ami-chan is _never_ late. If she's not here, she's either sick or she wasn't able to leave on time, so she went strait to school." Naru rolled her eyes skyward. "You do realize that she lives on the _other_ side of the school, don't you?"

"I guess you're right. We better get oof!" Usagi turned around and ran strait into someone. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"That is quite alright, young lady." The strangely dressed young man said. "Um… you are a young lady, are you not?"

Usagi looked uneasily at Naru and said, "Hai."

The man turned around and pumped his fist, saying, "At last I have talked with a woman! And now… I shall have tea with a woman!"

"Hey! What are you! Aaaaa!"

Naru watched helplessly as the man grabbed her friend, and immediately jumped to the roof. The tall girl frantically searched for her cell phone and called the police. "Hello? My name is Osaka Naru, and I think my friend was just abducted by a youma!"


	24. Chapter 24

Spoiled Brats

Acknowledgements: A thousand thanks for everyone who have bore with me this last month. From my friends and family who haven't said too much about my recent obsession with writing, to the folks at fukufics dot com who provided C&C, and of course everyone who have read and reviewed the final version on fanfiction dot net. I wouldn't have managed to do this without you.

Chapter Twenty-Four – Encounters and Meetings, Part Two

Mascara and Lather of the Amazons were not having a good day. They had spent the weekend carefully laying an ambush for the doxy of their hated enemy, Saotome Ranma. They would leave her mutilated corpse as a warning to outsiders who dared to become an obstacle to the destiny of their tribe. And then, when their enemy was distracted by grief, they'd breach the wards he'd erected around their apartment, and liberate the keys to Saffron's power.

The plan was perfect. It was foolproof. It also didn't work. The girl had changed her morning routine. So they decided to do things the old fashioned way: knives. They kept an eye on the girl and her companion as they talked with their elders. They had overheard just enough to know where the girls would be going. It was a pity the other girl had to die, but she was just a weak outsider. No great loss there.

They prepared a second ambush… only to have _that_ fail, when the girls went the wrong way. The pair glanced at each other, at a loss for what to do, when a pair of warriors from Mount Phoenix attacked the girls. Ranma's little tramp certainly had good instincts, tackling the longer-haired girl out of the way, and easily slipping out of her coat when one of them seized the hood of her coat in his talons.

And then _she_ showed up. An avenging warrior in a white body suit and a dark blue skirt that appeared from nowhere, striking down the two winged warriors as easily as one would swat a fly. The Amazons decided then and there that today would be a very poor day to take the girl's life. As they began to rework their plans, the pair never noticed the shadow moving up behind them.

- + - + -

Tsukino Usagi was no stranger to weird happenings. She was Sailor Moon, the sailor suited guardian of love and justice. She regularly fought life-stealing monsters. Getting abducted by foreign young men, however, was definitely a new experience.

Usagi pounded on the man's muscled back, yelling, "Put me down! Put me down! Aaaaaaa! Don't drop me!" This last came out as the man jumped several stories up to another rooftop. When the man ran across the roof and jumped across an alley, and up several more stories, the girl screamed again as she reached for her locket. _'I've got to transform!'_

"That is no way to treat a lady," a familiar male voice declared. "You _will _put her down, gently and safely, and you will do it now! And when you're done, you'll apologize to the lady."

'_Tuxedo Kamen-sama!'_ Usagi craned her neck in order to see that it was indeed Tuxedo Kamen, who was holding his cane like a sword, the tip pointed at the strange man.

The short and slender man shook his head vigorously. "No way! I caught her fair and square! Go find your own!" He did, much to Usagi's relief, put her gently and safely down. The girl scrambled away from the man, whose fur-lined clothing was faintly reminiscent of a fox. The man withdrew a handful of throwing spikes. "Leave now, or you'll get hurt."

Kamen's eyes behind his mask narrowed. "The only one who'll get hurt is a lout like you."

The fur-clad man hurled his spikes at his tuxedoed foe, who deflected each one with his cane. He then pulled a sword, and charged at caped man. Tuxedo Kamen easily evaded the clumsy attack, driving the point of his cane into the man's stomach in the process.

Much to the surprise of both Usagi and the Tuxedo, the man was only briefly stunned. _'He really is a monster!'_ Usagi thought. The man assumed a much more traditional sword stance, as if daring Tuxedo Kamen to attack.

Usagi jumped when another voice yelled, "ENOUGH!" right behind her. The girl turned around, and much to her surprise, the voice's owner wasn't right behind her, but across another alley and one floor up. He was a tall and powerfully built man, and quite handsome, Usagi noted with surprise. He had long flowing pink and white hair, and his scaled armor glistened in the sun. A second, smaller man stood by his side, also clad in furs. "Parsley, you have embarrassed me enough in one day. Do not make me regret bringing you along."

"I am sorry, my lord."

"Besides, you're asking out a girl all wrong! Let me demonstrate!" Usagi's eyes opened in alarm as the smaller man jumped at her. The taller one grabbed him by the back of his tunic, preventing him from crossing the alleyway.

"Mint, I think the lady has been harassed enough for one day."

"Of course, Lord Herb."

Herb jumped across the alley, and very politely kissed Usagi's hand. "Please forgive my men for what they…" Herb turned his head to the left, and then to the right, staring at the two men who were scribbling in notebooks. "What are you two idiots doing?"

"Taking notes!"

"Yes. This is good stuff!"

Ignoring the giggling Usagi, Herb asked, "By any chance, do you know where I could find Takeda Megumi?"

"My Lord Herb?" Mint asked, confused. "I thought we were looking for… oof!" Mint was cut off by Herb's elbow to his gut.

Tuxedo Kamen looked suspiciously at the pink haired man. "I believe you could contact her through her agent. Galaxy Studios would probably be able to contact the man for you."

"Of course. A warrior of her caliber would have people to speak for her. My thanks. Mint! Parsley! Come!" With a flourish of his cape, Herb leaped back up to the taller roof, his two men close behind. He was soon out of sight.

Usagi, a bit starry eyed, watched him depart.

"Ahem!"

"Oh, sorry!" Blushing, Usagi bowed to Tuxedo Kamen, and said, "Thanks for rescuing me, Tuxedo Kamen."

"My pleasure, Sailor Moon."

Usagi gaped at the masked man. "Wha… how?"

Tuxedo Kamen removed his mask. "I saw you transform at the park," Chiba Mamoru said. "I felt it was only fair that you know who I was in return."

Usagi jabbed a finger at him in surprise. "But… you…"

Mamoru smiled as he replaced his mask. "Exactly my reaction. Let's get you back to street level, so you can get to school."

Still slightly in shock, Usagi simply nodded.

- + - + -

Naru was attempting to describe what had happened to the two police officers. It was kind of hard to do so without sounding like a complete lunatic, but enough weird events had been happening around Minato that they were inclined to believe her. Especially since, if she was reading things correctly, Sailor Saturn had foiled another abduction attempt earlier.

Naru gasped in surprise when a man in a tuxedo jumped down from a nearby three-story building, carrying a blushing Usagi in his arms. He set her friend gently on her feet, tipped his top hat to her, and jumped back to the rooftops. Usagi waved at him, calling enthusiastically, "Thank you for saving me!"

Naru shook her head at her friend's ability to shrug things off like that casually. She'd had one brush with a youma, at her mama's jewelry store, and she'd had nightmares for weeks. _'I'd scream if someone jumped down three stories carrying _me_, and she acts like that happens every day_._ Usagi-chan, what's happening to you? You seem to be drifting away from me, ever since you made friends with Ami-chan. Even when I'm with you, you seem so distant. Will the day come when you don't have time for me anymore?'_

- + - + -

"Tsukino-san, this is beyond belief, even for you," Haruna-sensei exclaimed as Naru and Usagi arrived at their classroom. "You are over half an hour late! And you, Osaka-san…" Haruna-sensei trailed off as the two of them presented notes from the Principal. After reading it, the pair found themselves in the tearful embrace of their Sensei. "Oh, I'm sorry I yelled at you two! Are you all right? Do you need to sit down? Of course you do!"

It took a few minutes for their mercurial teacher to calm down. As Naru dug into her book bag for the things she needed for their first class, she noticed that Ami-chan actually was absent. _'The girl never misses school. At least I'll have Usagi's undivided attention for a change.'_ From her seat, she saw her best friend staring at the empty desk in concern, and the familiar feelings of jealousy reared their ugly head. _'Ever since Usagi decided, out of the blue, that Ami-chan needed a friend, I've been seeing less and less of her. I really can't begrudge Ami-chan Usagi's attention, but…'_

Mizuno Ami entered the classroom, blushing as all eyes turned towards her. Naru's eyes widened when Haruna-sensei, after reading Ami-chan's note, hugged the surprised girl with a cry of, "Oh no! Not you too!" When Ami passed by Usagi, she whispered something to the girl, who nodded. _'What's going on?' _Naru asked herself.

- + - + -

"I'm sorry Naru-chan, Hikari-chan, Maeko-chan, but I really need to talk with Ami-chan at lunch today," Usagi said, before she followed the class genius out of the door, her bento in her hand.

"Naru-chan, what exactly happened between the two of you on the way to school?" One of their friends asked, concerned.

"Yeah, have you and Usagi-chan been fighting or something?" Another of their friends asked.

"No, it's not that… It's… excuse me, girls. I'm going to talk to Usagi-chan."

"Want us to come with?"

Naru shook her head as she grabbed her lunch. "Something weird, and kind of scary, happened on the way to school today, and I think something similar happened to Ami-chan too. I think it's best if we kept it between us, for now. I'll let you know if there's something really wrong."

Naru headed towards the roof, where she knew Mizuno habitually ate lunch. _'Just what is going on between those two? The Usagi I know wouldn't be so… nonchalant about what happened this morning. And how's Ami-chan involved in this whole thing?'_

She was at the foot of the stairs to the roof when she heard Usagi's excited voice. "Minako-chan? You're going to Juuban now? Lucky!"

_'Minako? Usagi never mentioned a friend named Minako…'_

"Easy, Usagi-chan," a rather familiar voice said. "You really need to hear what happened to Ami-chan and me this morning."

"What happened?" An unfamiliar third voice said.

Naru frowned. _'Who are these people Usagi's talking to? Is she part of a gang or something? Yeah, right. I can't see either Usagi-chan or Ami-chan making trouble or roughing people up.'_

"We were attacked by someone," Ami-chan said.

"Dammit, Sensei was really off on her estimate, wasn't she?" The unfamiliar voice said.

"No, Mako-chan", the familiar one replied. "These weren't from the Dark Kingdom. These were people from Sempai's past. These were humans who serve some being called Saffron, who use magic to mutate themselves into bird people. Really nasty people, from what we've seen, and from what Sempai's said."

_'Dark Kingdom? Magic? Bird people? Is this some kind of joke?'_

"Great," a second unfamiliar voice said faintly. "Are there any other skeletons that either you or your sempai failed to mention, Aino-san?" Something seemed off with that voice.

_'Wait… that's AINO Minako!'_ Naru thought, stunned.

"Naru-chan and I were kind of attacked this morning too," Usagi-chan said. "Do you think it's related?"

'Kind_ of attacked?' _Naru thought. _'I was scared half to death, and it was only sort of an attack? Barely worth mentioning? Usagi, you used to break into tears when someone jumped out and yelled, "Boo." '_

" 'Kind of attacked,' Usagi-chan?"

"Hai, Mako-chan. It didn't really feel like an attack, more like a misunderstanding. Their leader was really polite when he apologized, too. I got the feeling the guy didn't really understand how to ask a girl out."

'_Is that really Usagi up on the roof?'_

"Was their leader named Herb?" Minako asked.

"Hai," Usagi replied. "How did you know?"

"Hear anything interesting?" A menacing voice asked, right behind Naru. The girl jumped, and when she turned her head, she saw the scowling face of an auburn haired woman. The woman gently pushed the girl up the stairs, saying, "You know, girls, you really need to make sure you're alone before you start discussing sensitive information in public."

Usagi stared at Naru in shock. "Naru-chan?"

Naru looked at her friend apologetically. She really hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but the conversation had been so strange, that she couldn't help it.

"She's your friend, Usagi-chan," the woman said. "It's your decision."

'_Decision?' _Naru thought. _'What decision?'_

"What do you mean, Megumi-san?" Usagi asked, looking concerned.

"Do you know what they call a secret known by more than one living person?" Usagi shook her head, "Public information."

Naru's eyes widened as the full implications of what the woman said sunk in. She looked around, seeing Aino Minako and a girl she recognized as Kino Makoto looking at her gravely. Ami-chan looked as horrified as Naru felt right now, and Usagi looked confused. _'She can't be serious!'_

Naru could tell the moment that Usagi figured out the woman's veiled threat. "No! No! No! Naru-chan's not a threat. She won't tell anyone, will you, Naru-chan? You won't hurt her, will you, Megumi-san?"

"I don't have to hurt her, Usagi-chan. I can easily erase the last fifteen minutes of her memory."

_'Kami-sama! This can't be happening!'_

"Is that really necessary?" The second unfamiliar voice said, coming from the cell phone in Ami-chan's hand.

"Anonymity is the only advantage you girls have right now. What she doesn't know, she can't reveal."

'_I don't know what's happening, but I trust Usagi-chan. She's my oldest friend,' _Naru thought. "It'll be alright, Usagi-chan," Naru said, making a decision. _'It won't be as scary if I make the decision, right?'_

Usagi shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary. I trust Naru-chan."

The woman named Megumi looked at Naru's friend through narrowed eyes. "Are you sure, Usagi-chan?"

"Hai. No offense, Megumi-san, but we need at least one person involved who isn't involved with the 'past life.' Naru-chan's really smart, and she might point out something we overlooked."

Naru stared at her friend in surprise. _'Are you really the same girl who got a 54 on her last test?'_

"That's a very good idea, Usagi-chan," Megumi-san said. "Provided that Osaka-san agrees to get some training, for her own protection." At Naru's slightly panicked nod, the woman said, "Then it's decided. Now, Usagi-chan, what was this about Herb?"

- + - + -

On the roof of Juuban High, five girls and one adult ate lunch, listening as Usagi described what had happened that morning, while a sixth girl listened in via her cell phone. When Usagi finished her story, Ranma shook her head. _'Usagi-chan left something out, but I'm not sure what. And Naru-chan is still looking a little wide-eyed. I guess if you only knew Usagi's civilian identity, connecting her with Sailor Moon would be a bit surreal.' _Out loud she said, "Herb sure has mellowed. I guess he got married, after all. Both the Musk Dynasty and Kiima are in Tokyo at the same time? What's next, the Amazons?"

A familiar voice interrupted. "Hai. Long time no see… Takeda Megumi."

Ranma looked up in surprise at the school's clock tower. "Shampoo," she said, nodding. "Your stealth techniques have improved greatly in the years since we last saw each other. What's up?"

The Amazon warrior bowed low. "I thank you for your kind words. I bring you greetings from the Matriarch and the Council of the Amazons, Takeda-sama," Shampoo said in very formal Japanese. "As per our agreement, I also bring two warriors, who have violated our laws, and sought to murder you and yours." The Chinese woman kicked two bound teens off the top of the tower. "I leave their judgment to you, as a gesture of respect."

The five girls stared in shock at the two tied up girls. When Ranma produced a tanto out of somewhere, their shock was transformed into alarm. "I take it they went after Minako-chan like Kiima did?"

"Hai."

Ranma glowered at the two Amazons for several minutes, allowing the fury she felt to abate. People were really tempting her kill reflex lately. She smiled evilly at the murderous pair before her, as a particularly appealing idea came to her. "Are they fully trained warriors, including the Hiryuu Shouten Ha and the Bakusai Tenketsu?"

"Hai."

"Then I sentence them to the ordeal." She weakened the ropes just enough for them to break free, eventually. "Now, if you'll excuse me." In a shimmer of air, Ranma and the two bound Amazons vanished. A second later, Ranma appeared about twenty meters above the roof. She fell fast, the force of her landing leaving a crater of cracked rooftop.

Shampoo hopped down. "What did you do to them?"

"Well, I decided to let them decide their own fate. If they keep their wits about them, they'll survive, and if they don't… well… no great loss. Those two didn't even have the guts to attack me directly."

"What exactly did you do to them?" Mizuno Ami asked in a tight voice.

"Ami-chan, what's human terminal velocity?"

Ami blinked at the unexpected question. "About fifty-three meters per second."

"And how long does it take to fall from about ten kilometers in altitude?"

"About 192 seconds, assuming they started from a stationary… you didn't!"

Ranma nodded smugly.

Usagi leapt to her feet, along with Makoto. "There's no way anyone could survive a fall that high!"

Shampoo snorted. "If someone can survive a fall from 150 meters, then they should be able to survive a fall from anything higher. It isn't easy, but it is possible."

"Provided they keep their wits," Ranma added.

"Hai. It's survivable, but the sudden stop at the end will probably be painful." Shampoo said grimly. "It's a good lesson, assuming they survive."

"Of course, the air is rather thin up there."

"It's cold too. But we do live in the mountains," Shampoo pointed out.

Ranma nodded. "True. That may make a difference."

"Not much, though. Oh, look. There they are!" She pointed towards two falling objects to the south.

"I do believe they're on a trajectory for the lake in the park."

Shampoo nodded. "That's a good sign. They're coherent enough to control their fall, at least."

A tornado appeared right below the pair of falling bodies.

Ranma frowned. "I think their timing was off."

Shampoo nodded. "Yes. They started too soon. The tornado will dissipate while they're too high in the air."

"They'll survive, at least, and learn from their mistakes."

"They'll survive. Whether they, or their families, learn from this is another matter. They're very conservative, and hate the reforms great-grandmother and the others have forced upon us."

Ranma snorted in disgust. "By the way, Herb's in town too, and he's looking for me."

Shampoo frowned. "What's he doing here?"

"Probably the same reason you and Kiima are: Saffron. Do you have a number where you can be contacted?"

"Yes." The Amazon handed Ranma a piece of paper. "It's my cell phone number."

"Okay, I'll give you a call when I find Herb. You'd better check on your two criminals."

"Hai. It was nice to see you again, Megumi-san. I'm glad you're well." With that, Shampoo jumped off the roof, to the surprise of the already stunned girls on the roof.

"She jumped down five floors like it was nothing," Makoto said, looking down.

"Five and a half, she had to jump the safety fence too," Ami added.

"Sempai… you wouldn't have let them die, would you?" Minako asked, uncertainly.

"If they had come directly after me, I would've just beat them until unconsciousness, and then called it even. But they went after you instead. I wanted to send a clear message to them, and those who think like them. A pair of bodies sends one message, but that," Ranma pointed in the general direction of Prince Arisagawa Park, "Sends an entirely different message."

"Which is?" Usagi asked in a quiet voice.

Ranma's eyes narrowed. "Don't go after the people I care about. If that was me being merciful, imagine what I'd do if I was pissed off."

Silence descended upon the roof of Juuban Junior High. Eventually, a forgotten cell phone said, insistently, "Would one of you _please_ tell me what's happening? Hello? Anyone?"


	25. Chapter 25

Spoiled Brats

Acknowledgements: Once again, thanks to the folks at fukufics dot com for providing C&C.

Author's Note: Ranma's very busy Monday continues…

Chapter Twenty Five – Encounters and Meetings, part three

An auburn haired woman appeared in a discrete location a few blocks away from the Diet. Ranma, Megumi's swaying gait drawing many suited and uniformed male gazes, walked into the lobby and checked in at the desk. From there, she was guided to a conference room, where she met Colonel Sanada from the JSDF, and an American Colonel, who she assumed was Colonel Anderson.

"Takeda-san, thank you for coming," Colonel Sanada said, bowing. "This is Colonel Anderson, U.S. Air Force. The Colonel doesn't speak Japanese, so how's your English?"

"I'm told my accent is quite thick," Ranma said.

"Good enough."

"Colonel Anderson," Ranma said slowly in English, trying to get her 'l's right. "It is a pleasure to meet you," she said with a bow. "I am Take… excuse me, Megumi Takeda."

"Quite all right, Ms. Takeda. I am Col. Richard Anderson, USAF."

Col. Sanada sat down. "Shall we begin?"

Col. Anderson nodded, as he and Ranma took their seats. "Any objections to this being recorded?" Ranma shook her head. "Megumi Takeda, do you certify that you are cooperating in this operation as a civilian, of your own free will, and without coercion, under section fourteen of The Hague Convention of 1907, pertaining to the restriction of individuals of paranormal abilities from military and intelligence service?"

Ranma blinked. _'I wonder if anyone actually obeys that restriction.' _"Yes."

"Thank you. Would you please describe your participation to the Asahikawa incident, on Wednesday, November 10th, 2004?"

Ranma did, intending to leave out the fact that she'd known where they were for half a year. Col. Anderson, apparently leading this meeting, interrupted with questions and comments that revealed that he was quite aware that that wasn't the first time she'd been up in those mountains, so Ranma ending up revealing quite a bit more than she'd intended.

"Thank you. I assume the reason they decided to move was because they thought you were getting too close to them?"

Ranma shook her head. "I wish that was true, but Beryl's position was too strong. I believe what triggered the move was an attempt at misinformation, and freeing those she held in thrall, that backfired. One of her people had almost broken free of her power on his own, and he was my contact in the Dark Kingdom. I haven't heard from him since that attempt."

The American Colonel looked at his Japanese counterpart. "Perhaps you should start at the beginning."

Ranma nodded. "Right. A long, long time ago…"

"If you say 'In a galaxy far, far away,' I'll shoot you," Col. Anderson quipped.

Ranma's lips twitched as she fought off a smile. Remembering was quite painful at times, even if those memories were still frustratingly incomplete. "A long, long time ago, all the people of the Earth were united in a single kingdom, the Earth Kingdom. It was a time and peace and prosperity for the people of Earth…"

"Excuse me," Col. Anderson interrupted, "But how do you know all this?"

"Memories of a past life."

Ranma smirked when Col. Anderson handed a few bills to his Japanese counterpart. "Why can't souls go straight to heaven or hell like they're supposed to?"

"Because God is far more merciful than you westerners give Him credit for," Col. Sanada answered.

"Anyways," Ranma said, somewhat irritated. She didn't exactly consider the whole past life thing very merciful. If they hadn't been reborn, they wouldn't be in this position. "While the Earth Kingdom protected the people of Earth, the Moon Kingdom protected…"

"Oh, crap," Col. Anderson interrupted again.

"Do… you… mind?" Ranma growled out.

"I'm sorry, it's just that you confirmed what we're dealing with here." Col. Anderson opened his briefcase, which held a laptop. "The images I'm about to show you are classified top secret. If the crypto-archeologists ever got wind of this, we'd never hear the end of it."

"Why is that so bad?"

"Because there are enough wild theories out there about prehistory, without adding fuel to the fire by admitting the truth. Did you know that there's this one archeologist, a professor Shanks, that insists that the pyramids were build by an alien civilization as landing pads?" Col. Anderson shook his head. "Anyways, these pictures were taken by Apollo 13 on their mission…"

"Didn't they suffer some kind of malfunction during that mission?" Col. Sanada asked.

"That was a cover. Their real mission was to investigate the Lunar anomaly, an area on the moon that looked like there was a ruined city there." He opened a file, and began showing a series of color photographs. "What they found was not only a ruined city, but human remains, mummified, but otherwise perfectly preserved by the vacuum…"

"Stop!"

Col. Sanada looked at the auburn haired woman in alarm. "Takeda-san?"

"Ms. Takeda, are you alright?"

Ranma stood, staring at the one of the bodies on the screen. Her fingers dug into the wooden table, her fingertips turning as white as her face. Without a word, she vanished, appearing in an abandoned quarry nearly twenty kilometers away.

_Kunzite staggered among the ruins of the Moon Kingdom, his power the only thing keeping him alive as the vacuum of space ate away at the wards that had once preserved life on the surface of the moon. He saw the bodies of his companions, buried among the rubble, slain in the assault on the Moon Kingdom after they had all been bewitched by Beryl. He saw the Prince and Princess, together in death as they longed to be in life. And overhead, he saw the darkness that consumed the Earth. With his last remaining breath, he fell to his knees and screamed._

Ranma's scream echoed the one from her memory, her power unleashing a wave of destruction against the walls of the quarry. Again and again she struck, her fury unabated by the explosions all around her. After fifteen minutes, her energy was exhausted, even if Kunzite's anger wasn't.

'_Damn it! Why can't anything ever be simple?'_

- + - + -

Hino Rei waited impatiently in their secret headquarters at Crown Karaoke. Today was the first day she had really _hated_ going to a different school than the others. Several important things had happened over lunch, and she'd been stuck a kilometer away, listening helplessly over her Luna Cell Phone. She had an incomplete picture about what had happened, and she hated being left out of the loop. Unfortunately, her father would never allow her to transfer to Juuban. Her presence at Thomas Aquinas was too important to his image. Not that she actually wanted to. T.A. was a _really _good school, and it had an elevator system that went all the way through college.

For a change, Usagi and the others were on time. And they brought a friend this time. She knew exactly why Ranma had insisted that Usagi make the decision, but it would've been safer if she'd wiped Osaka-san's memories instead.

Giving Usagi's friend a chance to take in the rather impressive sight before her, Rei waited until the girl reached the bottom of the stairs to stand and haughtily introduce herself. "I am Hino Rei, the Senshi of Fire, Sailor Mars. My powers are mastery over flame, exorcism, and precognition. And you are?"

"I'm Osaka Naru… and I'm Usagi's friend."

"Yes… I'm sure that will be very useful."

"Don't underestimate the power of friendship, Rei-chan," Ranma said from behind Rei, causing her to jump. "Believe me, you can really surprise yourself with what you're capable of when it comes to those you love." The auburn haired woman frowned. "Not all those surprises are good ones, either."

"Sempai!" Rei rolled her eyes as Minako gave Ranma a searing kiss. "What's wrong?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later." Ranma nodded at a certain girl with twin ponytails. "I see Usagi-chan has noticed the new addition. Go ahead and open it."

"Hai." Usagi slid open the door, and gasped, "Sugoi! It's so big!" The girl rushed in.

Ranma watched the other five girls follow Usagi, Rei doing her best not seem too eager or curious. Ranma followed, placing a hand on shoulder of a wild-eyed Osaka Naru. "Are you okay?"

"How is this possible?"

"You live in a world where scantily dressed young women fight energy draining monsters. Borrowing space isn't that hard. We do have Artemis to thank for doing it on this scale. Speaking of which, I'd better go get him."

"We have an onsen in here!" Usagi called out from the women's bath.

"Rei, have you seen Luna?" Ranma asked as Rei walked past her.

"No, wasn't she with Usagi or Ami?"

Ranma shook her head, and then headed towards the door to their apartment. Halfway there, the door opened, and Luna walked in. Ranma nodded to the purple toy cat. "I see you noticed the new addition."

"Yes. Artemis gave me the grand tour… what's she doing here?" Luna asked the girls headed back to the Crown.

"The girls got a little careless again, and Naru-chan overheard them. Usagi decided that having her best friend in on the secret would be better than wiping her memory. It also gives us access to at least _one_ person untainted by the past life."

"Untainted?"

"Damn right, untainted. They all had their chance at a long and happy life, and they blew it big time, so now we're stuck cleaning up their mess. I don't know how the others feel, but I'm not giving Kunzite my chance at life as well. The man did not die happy." She cocked her head at Luna. "Would you go get Artemis? There's something we need to discuss, and I'd better get in there before Usagi-chan warms up the karaoke machine."

- + - + -

Usagi passed her hand in front of her friend's face. "Naru-chan? Are you okay?"

Luna and Artemis, entering from the dojo, took one look at Naru's face, and asked, "We take it Ranma demonstrated her curse?"

Ranma nodded. "We have a situation right now, and it's something that needs to be resolved now, while Beryl isn't as active. It deals with my past, so she needs to know about it." Ranma looked at the girls around her. "Here's the situation. There is a region in western China often referred to as the 'Hidden Kingdoms,' where thanks to isolation, long lived and arch-conservative leaders, and a rather large concentration of magic, life is still pretty much as it has been five hundred years ago. The most modern of them are the Amazons, and it's only thanks to a recent shakeup in their leadership that they've joined the twentieth century."

"It's the twenty-first century, Ranma-san." Ami pointed out helpfully.

"I know, Ami-chan, I know. Anyways, three of these kingdoms have fought over control of Jusenkyo for centuries: the Amazons, the Musk, and Mount Phoenix. To make a long story short, Saffron of Mount Phoenix is nearing his time of ascension once again, and his people are looking for the keys to unlocking his transformation, which just happen to be in my possession. And they know who I am now, and where I am. In addition, the process of his transformation puts Jusenkyo in danger, which neither the Amazons nor the Musk want to see happen.

"Representatives of all three factions are in Tokyo right now. Usagi-chan met one of the princes of the Musk, Herb. The Phoenix attacked Ami-chan and Minako-chan. And you all met Shampoo of the Amazons. What I need are options about what to do about it."

"Isn't there any way for the three of them to cooperate?"

Ranma shook her head. "Not really, Ami-chan. Both the Musk and the Amazons view an ascended Saffron as a threat, and the Phoenix won't accept anything except full ascension. Saffron not only gives their people a powerful warrior, but he keeps their mountain home habitable. Right now, they have to live on the lower slopes, which can easily reached by their neighbors."

"Couldn't you give the keys to Musk and the Amazons, and have them control Saffron's level of ascension?" Rei asked.

"I don't want to give either the Amazons or the Musk access to that much power."

Rei shrugged. "Do it yourself, then."

"Do you really want me spending several weeks overseas at this time?"

Rei shook her head, while the others sat there thinking. After several minutes, Usagi said, "Couldn't you promise to do it later?"

"Usagi-chan, I don't want Saffron to ascend at all, if I can help it. When Saffron was ascended, the Phoenix raided their neighbors at will, because their home was completely unassailable. What I need is a way of sending Kiima home without giving her what she wants." Ranma narrowed her eyes. "Otherwise, I'll go with plan 'B'."

"Which is?" Naru asked.

"Kill her."

- + - + -

Minako sat down on the coach beside Ranma, folding her long legs under her as she leaned against the man. "Do you really think they're all that unreasonable?"

Ranma stared into his cup of tea. "I don't know, but none of the parties involved have been reasonable in the past. Myself included." Ranma offered the young brunette a lopsided smile. "It's really sad that the best idea we could come up with is lock them in a room together, and not let them out until they work things out."

Minako shrugged. "Just make sure you leave a cat flap through which we can push food in." Minako reached over and placed her hand over Ranma's. "Now, will you tell me what's wrong?"

"The U.S. Air Force is aware of the Moon Kingdom's former existence. They even sent a manned mission there, to investigate its ruins. They showed me pictures of the place, and the preserved bodies that still lie where they fell."

"You mean…"

"I saw Kunzite's body, Minako. It's still up there. They all are, up on the moon." Ranma's hands shook. "It woke up Kunzite for a while. I had to get out of there, before he started lashing out at everything around him. He did not die happy. He survived the destruction of the Moon Kingdom just long enough to realize exactly what had happened."

"What exactly happened? I don't remember much."

"Minako… Beryl didn't destroy everything. The Princess did."


	26. Chapter 26

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I don't own either PGSM or Ranma ½. I'm just fooling around with them for my own amusement.

Chapter Twenty-Six – Plans and Complications

Aino Minako woke up, feeling warm and protected. It had to do with the warm body she was cuddled up to, his powerful arm holding her close in his sleep. She opened her eyes, seeing her love's face as he slept. All at once, the revelation from last night came back to her, the realization that had driven her to _not_ be alone last night, even if events had not progressed quite as she'd hoped. _'I'm going to die after all.'_

Her Princess had destroyed the world. She had, in fact, all but destroyed two worlds. And if the Princess awakened again, there was a threat that the Princess would finish what she'd started millennia ago. It was a risk they couldn't take. And without an awakened Princess, there would be no Ginzuishou, and no cure for the cancer that was slowly destroying her brain. It was her life against billions of others.

Minako slowly maneuvered within Ranma's unconscious embrace, so that the length of her body lay on top of his. She wanted him, as completely and thoroughly as woman could take a man. _'It's over a year before we can marry, and I'll be lucky if I survive until summer. It's not fair!' _Minako thought fiercely. _'And I doubt he'll touch me _that_ way until I'm old enough to marry anyways. And probably not until we marry, either. He's so old fashioned at times.'_ She smiled as she once again thought, _'I think I really am the guy in this relationship. I'm supposed to be the seducee, not the seducer.'_

She sighed as she rested her head on his shoulder, feeling the slow beat of his heart through their pajamas. She was almost ready to drift back to sleep when a solution to her problem occurred to her. As gently as she could, she disentangled herself from his embrace and sat up, straddling his legs. Slowly, she unbuttoned the front of her top. When she reached down to unbutton Ranma's top, her hand encountered something soft where there should've been nothing at all. She looked closer, and realized that Ranma had gone girl, her male pajamas having been replaced by an oversized T-shirt. Ranma crinkled her nose as she unconsciously wiped some liquid off her face.

Minako looked to her right, where she could see a certain meddling white toy cat staring at her from a nearby shelf. "Artemis," she hissed, not wanting to wake up Ranma, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm not going to let you seduce him in his sleep, Minako-chan. That isn't right."

"That wasn't what I was doing," Minako protested, blushing furiously. "I was… I was just marshalling my arguments."

"I see. While your arguments are indeed impressive for a child your age, I doubt they'll be of much use against Ranma. After all, she has arguments of her own, and they are a lot better developed…"

- + - + -

In the living room of Minako and Ranma's apartment, a soft white shape impacted the back of the couch opposite the bedroom door. As the unfortunate plushy dropped to the cushions, the door quietly, but firmly, shut.

- + - + -

Minako turned around, and found Ranma staring at her. The woman cocked her head to the side, and dropped her gaze slightly. Blushing furiously, Minako held the front of her pajamas closed as she said, "Ranma… I can explain."

Without saying a word, Ranma patted the bed beside her. Minako carefully sat down, and took a few deep breaths. She turned to Ranma, prepared to present her idea calmly and rationally. Much to her dismay, as soon as she looked into the woman's eyes, she started crying. She latched onto Ranma and couldn't let go, as she tried, desperately, to regain the control necessary to explain what she wanted. Ranma simply held her as she cried into her chest, rocking Minako gently until she calmed down.

"Minako?" Ranma asked, once Minako had regained her composure. "I want to make one thing perfectly clear to you. I have no intention of letting you, or anyone else, die a heroic but tragic death. Do you understand?"

"But… the Princess…"

"Changes nothing. What happened in the past is exactly that: the past. Usagi-chan isn't that princess; she's Tsukino Usagi, who inherited the princess' mess along with her power. You aren't that Sailor Venus; you're Aino Minako, who inherited Sailor Venus' mantle and problems. I am not that Kunzite; I'm Saotome Ranma, who inherited Kunzite's abilities and mistakes. None of us have to become those negligent people from the past life. We owe them _nothing._ We have every right to live our own lives, rather than relive theirs. It isn't fair that we have to clean up the mess they left, but life is never fair. Remember that."

"Hai."

"Good. As I see it, we still need to wake up Usagi, and it is more important than ever that she wakes up on _our_ schedule, not Beryl's."

Minako looked Ranma straight in the eye. "You're thinking of manipulating them again," she stated flatly.

"Minako, there are several things that _will_ happen, whether we want them to or not. We can let events play out naturally, and let them happen in less than ideal conditions, even outside of our control, or we can make them happen right. I have an idea on how to do that, but we'll need Doc Ono's help."

"Alright, but promise me one thing, Ranma…"

"What?"

"That not matter what happens, we marry as soon as possible."

Ranma smirked, "If there's going to be a proposal, then I'd better be the right gender…"

Minako shook her head. "I loved Megumi first. It's all right if _she_ proposes. After all I know the man behind the woman."

"Very well then," Ranma got off the bed and onto one knee, summoning a box. "Aino Minako… will you marry me?" At the girl's nod, she opened the box, and slid the ring onto Minako's finger. Minako teared up a bit when she saw that nestled around the center diamond and encircling smaller diamonds were birthstones of both Ranma and herself, along with the fictitious birthstones of the Takeda twins.

After a very formal but prolonged kiss, Minako narrowed her eyes at her fiancé. "Now that we're officially engaged, Ranma, I expect to get some 'B'-iiiiiiii…" Minako shrieked when Ranma picked her up and proceeded to demonstrate just how good the older woman was at "B."

- + - + -

'_Finally.' _Artemis thought as he stopped listening at the door. He hopped back up onto the table and pushed the power button on Ranma's laptop. _'I know Ranma was waiting for Minako to grow up a little more, but leaving Minako-chan frustrated wasn't good for their relationship.' _The toy cat frowned, _'I don't like them going back to their manipulative ways, but…'_ The white plushy shook his head. _'I'd better call the others and let them know practice is off this morning. They really need some time alone together.'_

- + - + -

The girls, suddenly finding an hour and a half of free time in their morning, spent it productively. Rei spent some time indexing Hikawa Shrine's oracles. Makoto decided to get a jump on redecorating her apartment. Ami finished reading her imported copy of Scientific American. Naru, a little apprehensive about her coming martial arts lessons with Ranma, worked out. Usagi got some extra nappy-time.

Chiba Mamoru spent the entire morning in a high state of paranoia, wondering when and how, exactly, the Tomoe woman was going to attack him this time.

- + - + -

"Good morning, Ami-chan!"

Mizuno Ami smiled at the brunette's tone when Aino Minako met her at the library. "Good morning, Minako-chan," she said. "I was a little worried when Artemis called and canceled this morning's practice. It was supposed to be our first group practice."

Minako blushed, placing a hand on her cheek. "Sorry… we got a little distracted this morning." A flash of light on the girl's finger caught Ami's attention.

"Is that?" Minako nodded. "Then congratulations." The pair walked along in comfortable silence until the full implications of this morning set in. Ami stopped as a deep blush graced her face.

- + - + -

From his perch overlooking Minako's route to school, Ranma, in his Dragon Knight persona, watched as Usagi's reaction of the news more than made up for Ami's reserved acceptance. Minako was currently in an enthusiastic glomp by Usagi, who bouncing up and down in delight, despite the looks she was getting from those walking by, including a bemused Naru.

It had also taken Usagi much less time than Ami to notice the addition to Minako's hand. It was easy to dismiss the girl, but there was definitely strength in there, deep, deep beneath the teenager she appeared to be. He really wished he could hear what the girls were saying, but even from there, he could tell from that the remaining tension in Minako's shoulders from last night was vanishing. A touch here, smile there, and three near strangers were once again a family caught in the orbit of a black-haired girl who was, in Ranma's opinion, as much a genius as Ami.

_'Copernicus and Ptolemy were wrong,'_ Ranma thought as he watched Usagi drag Minako to school, the two other girls obediently following behind the pair. Makoto's reaction to having Minako's bejeweled hand thrust in her face by Usagi brought a smile to the man's face. _'The center of the Universe is the moon.'_ Once the girls were safely in the school, Ranma teleported away in search of Kiima's nest, never noticing a familiar teenaged face that he hadn't seen in ten years walking to school in a Juuban seifuku.

- + - + -

Maeko and Hikari glanced at each other when Usagi-chan, Naru-chan, and Mizuno-san walked into the classroom; Naru-chan and Mizuno-san chatting like old friends. The pair glanced at each other, before Hikari leaned over and whispered, "What's with Naru-chan and Mizuno-san? Yesterday, they only tolerated each other's presence for Usagi-chan's sake. Today, they're acting like old friends."

Maeko whispered back, "Do you think they've been replaced by pod people?"

"Pod people?"

"Hai. Maybe whoever's behind the youma are secretly abducting people and replacing them with pod people."

"Scary. Do you think they've gotten to Usagi-chan yet?"

"I don't know," Maeko trailed off as Usagi-chan sat down nearby. "Usagi-chan?" Maeko asked excitedly. "Did you hear? Aino Minako is going to Juuban now!"

The black haired girl looked up from her book bag. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. I heard." She went back too searching through the bag.

Hikari leaned over to Maeko and whispered, "They got Usagi-chan too!"

The other girl nodded worriedly, before Usagi-chan stood up, staring at one of her workbooks in horror. "Aaaah! I did the wrong workbook by mistake! And I worked so hard at it last night!"

The pair looked at each other in relief. _That_, at least, was pure Usagi-chan.

- + - + -

In a shimmer of air, Ranma teleported into their apartment. "Good afternoon, Artemis," he said as the toy peeked around the edge of the laptop. "Any news on the 'Net?"

Artemis shook his head. "Nothing at all. But then again, the Dark Kingdom could be anywhere." He pointed a fake paw at a folded phone on a coffee table in the living room. "You forgot Megumi's cell phone this morning, by the way, and there were several calls. Any sign of Kiima?"

"Nope," he said as he headed towards the kitchen. "You'd think a giant bird's nest would stand out in downtown Tokyo." A splash of water later, and she picked up her cell phone and began sorting through the messages. "Hmm… that's kind of odd…"

"What is?"

"I got a text message from Ami-chan, informing me that they're having lunch in their classroom today, rather than on the roof, because it's starting to get too cold…"

- + - + -

Maeko and Hikari continued to stare in amazement, their lunches forgotten. They were eating lunch with _Aino Minako._ Who was apparently not only friends with Usagi-chan and Mizuno-san, but Naru-chan and _Kino Makoto-san,_ the transfer student, as well.

Usagi-chan looked blatantly at the idol singer's lunch. "Wow… this lunch looks as good as yesterday's. You must be as good a cook as Mako-chan!"

Aino-san shook her head. "Megumi-sempai usually makes my lunches, Usagi-chan, but Kappei is as good a cook as she is." The brunette's smile was a bit mysterious. "I think I better learn how to cook."

"If you need lessons, my door is always open," Kino-san said, to the two girls' surprise.

"Arigatou," Minako said. "I heard what a good cook you… Usagi-chan!"

"Yummy!" The pony tailed girl said around the miniature dumpling she'd stolen from Aino-san's lunch box. "You're so lucky if you get to eat like this everyday."

When Usagi-chan's eyes fell upon their still untouched lunches, Hikari and Maeko decided that eating was more important than trying to follow the conversation at their improvised table.

- + - + -

'_Ami-chan must've sent this text message to me by mistake.' _A kilometer away, an auburn haired girl with medium length hair closed her pink cell phone with a snap. As she looked to the south, she once again resolved to _not_ be jealous that the others were always together during lunch. There was plenty of time to socialize _after_ school, and this really was a good school.

Hino Rei unwrapped her lunch and began to eat it, as she always did, alone.

- + - + -

Several messages later, Ranma sighed in relief. "Everything's still on schedule for Friday…"

"Minako-chan is going to be pleasantly surprised," Artemis said. "She has another concert this weekend, after all, so you won't be spending much time together. I'm just glad she slowed down a bit and gets to enjoy life a little."

Ranma nodded. "Ah, Colonel Anderson called," Ranma continued as she listened to her messages, "He wants to reschedule the meeting. He also thanked me for getting out of Tokyo before unleashing the 'mother of all bombs' within spitting distance of the Diet." Ranma shook her head. "He was exaggerating, of course. I doubt I have enough power to level several blocks…"

"You went to the old quarry NW of Nerima to smash something, right?" Artemis asked, hitting a few keys on the laptop.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"There was a 2.3 'seismic event' centered there yesterday afternoon."

Ranma sat down heavily, feeling a bit stunned. "Oh. And Usagi has enough power to level two planets?"

Artemis shook his head. "I still can't believe that it was our Princess that did it. It shouldn't have been _possible_ for her to do that. The Ginzuishou is an artifact for healing, to _save_ life, not take it. There's a reason why we have four guardian senshi to protect holder of the Ginzuishou. The Ginzuishou won't kill. It can't."

"But it did," Ranma said, glowering. "That's one day I remember quite well from the past life now. She used it to kill the one who cut down Endymion, destroyed the Earth people who invaded the Moon Kingdom, and then lost control, killing not only herself, but destroying her own realm, and much of the Earth as well. The question is how." Ranma looked the toy cat in the eye. "The answer to that question may be the key to everything."

- + - + -

The prisoner hung limply from his chains, his blank gaze focused upon a spot on the floor. He tried to summon the will to move his gaze to something more interesting, but it proved to be too much for the dejected figure. He couldn't even make the effort to remember his name.

"Where the hell am I now?"

Something deep within the prisoner was stirred by that plaintive cry. The tiny core of free will assaulted the prison that trapped it, desperate for any chance to escape. It concentrated every single ounce of power it had, in order to say a single word.

"Help."


	27. Chapter 27

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon or Ranma ½. I'm just playing around with them to amuse others and myself. ^_^

Acknowledgements: Once again I'd like to thank the folks at fukufics dot com for giving these chapters the once over.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: More Complications

"Minako-chan? Where are you going?"

Aino Minako glanced over her shoulder at her twin pony-tailed friend. "I want to talk to my home-room teacher, Usagi-chan. I _wanted_ to talk to her this morning, but _someone_ changed my plans by making me almost late for class." The brunette winked at the black haired girl playfully. "No offense, Mako-chan, but I wanted to break the news at lunch."

Kino Makoto shrugged. "None taken. I assume you wanted to know if you could wear your engagement ring at school?"

Tsukino Usagi blinked in confusion. "Eh?"

"We're not supposed to wear makeup or jewelry at school, Usagi-chan," Mizuno Ami explained.

"Though they don't usually enforce it as long as we're discrete. And that ring isn't that discreet." Osaka Naru added. "I believe Takeda-san told Mama that the ring should be 'visible but tactful.'"

"Naru-chan! You knew about this? Why didn't you tell me?" Usagi whined.

"Because at the time, I didn't know who it was for. Besides, you can't keep a secret."

"I can too," Usagi said indignantly. "I haven't told anyone that I'm Sai…"

"Mizutani-Sensei!" Minako called out, interrupting the black haired girl. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Aino-san," Minako's homeroom teacher said enthusiastically. "After all, I – Mizutani Yuuko – am thirty-five years old, and have never had a boyfriend, so that I can give everything I have for my students! So ask away, my dear! That is what I'm here for!"

Minako felt a bead of sweat run down her temple. "Um… is it all right to wear my engagement ring to school?"

- + - + -

Mizuno Ami looked over her shoulder. "Are you sure she's going to be all right?"

Minako nodded absently, feeling much better now that her ring was once again on her finger where it belonged.

"Aino-san!" One of Usagi's friends called from the stairway, panting slightly. "There you are! There's a huge crowd at the gate! Reporters and everything!"

"That didn't take too long," Minako said, glancing at her watch. "And I've got an appointment too." The brunette moved to a nearby empty classroom. "I'll meet you guys at the Crown at five," she said, opening up a window. "Later!" She jumped out the window.

Naru rushed to the window, calling, "But this is the second floor!" She looked down, and saw an unhurt idol singer run towards the wall around the school, jump and catch the top of the wall with one hand, swing her legs around to the other side, and then drop out of sight.

Naru looked at the rest of the slightly stunned Senshi. "I take it you didn't know she could do that kind of thing, did you?"

- + - + -

On the other side of the school's wall, Minako carefully looked left and right, making sure she was unobserved, before squealing and doing a very brief jig of joy. _'Yes! I did it!'_ She wasn't anywhere near ready to roof hop untransformed like her fiancé did, but jumping a two and a half meter wall _was_ very impressive in her opinion. _'I wonder if Ranma can teach me how to teleport?'_

At a brisk walk, Aino Minako headed north. She needed to see a priest about a wedding.

- + - + -

In the crowd around the front gate, Kiima waited impatiently for her target to leave the school. She couldn't believe her luck in trying to abduct Saotome's little slut. She had spent over a week infiltrating the girl's school as a backup, and then she goes and _transfers _to a new school. Which meant that she had to spend the whole day with one of the school's guidance councilors, taking _tests_. _Again._ She was lucky that she had spent so much time in Japan tracking down her hated enemy, so she didn't do _too_ badly, but they certainly had changed their entrance policies from ten years ago.

'_No exploding pineapples, no swimming with boulders, and no mandatory haircuts,'_ Kiima thought as she searched through the sea of faces. _'Thank Saffron for that blessing. What is taking that girl so long? She's a part of the "go home" club,' _she mused, as she struggled to stay at the front of the crowd. _'She should be out by now. Come on out, Aino Minako. You have an appointment with an impression egg…'_

- + - + -

Aino Minako walked automatically, idea after idea being formed and either rejected as unreasonable, or shelved until she had more information. _'Why did they have to change the marriage age? Fifteen years ago, I wouldn't have this problem!'_

A familiar voice interrupted Minako's musings. "What are you doing here, Aino-san?"

Minako stared in surprise at Hino Rei, who was standing in front of the gate to Saint Luke's. "I… uh… needed to talk to the Father Dominic about… something. What are you doing here?"

Minako didn't miss the stiffness to the girl's shoulders. "I'm here to visit my mother."

Minako's left eyebrow raised, "She's a nun here?"

"No," Rei said, her face strangely emotionless. "She rests here."

"Oh." Minako opened the gate, gesturing for Rei to go first, desperately trying to think of a safe topic.

Rei broke the silence first. "I would've never figured _you_ for a Christian."

Minako shrugged. "I like coming here when I'm in Tokyo. It's very peaceful, and it helps me think. And Father Dominic has always been nice to me." The brunette gave the auburn haired girl a tentative smile. "Would it be alright if I paid my respects?"

- + - + -

Minako didn't miss the byplay between Rei and Father Dominic, a kindly westerner in his mid 50's. She had no idea what question the girl was asking with the look she gave the priest, but Rei hadn't been happy with the man shaking his head, "No."

The priest waited until after they'd left before asking the question that had clearly been on his mind. "So… Rei-chan, Minako-chan, how do you know each other?"

Rei got in the first word. "Aino-san and I have a mutual acquaintance."

'_Acquaintance?' _Minako thought, frowning. "I thought Usagi-chan was your friend, Rei-chan."

Rei froze, before changing the subject. "What I'd like to know is where you know Aino-san from, Father."

Father Dominic gave Minako a warm look. "Minako-chan volunteers once a month at the children's cancer ward at Tokyo General. They get so few visitors as it is, let alone an idol like Minako, so they really look forward to her visits… Rei-chan? Are you alright?"

Minako fidgeted uncomfortably as she tried to interpret the look the miko had on her face…

- + - + -

Rei dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief as she said, "I'm sorry, Minako-chan. I misjudged you."

"It's alright. We didn't exactly meet under ideal circumstances."

Seated in a comfortable chair opposite the two girls on the couch, the priest waited patiently as the two girls bonded. The death of Rei's mother had left the girl rather cold, effectively orphaned despite the fact that her father still lived, and she hadn't had any friends in the years he'd known her. He hadn't known Minako nearly as long, only since January, but until a month ago, the girl had been almost equally as cold and alone, thawing only with her "sempai." Two weeks ago, during her monthly visit to the children's ward, he had seen the first genuine smile on her face. There were all sorts of rumors about the girl, and like many he wanted to know exactly what was going on, but he had long learned the value of patience.

Eventually, the young miko asked the question on Father Dominic's mind. "So what _are_ you doing here, Minako-chan?"

The girl blushed. "I… uh… need to get married as soon as possible."

Father Dominic wasn't the only one looking at the brunette in shock. "You're pregnant?" The auburn haired girl asked in surprise.

"NO!" the girl shouted. "Why would you think that?"

Rei smirked at her friend, unleashing a second shock for the priest. "Well, you _are_ living in sin with some guy twice your age…"

"It's not like that! I moved in with _Megumi_, not Kappei! He moved out when I moved in, so I hardly ever see him at the apartment! And my _own_ bedroom is off limits to guys! Hell, I usually have to make the first move, and this morning was the first he ever touched me _anywhere_ below the neck…"

The priest's discrete cough caused the girl to break off, the blush on her face reaching all the way down to her collarbone. "Sorry, Father," the girl sheepishly apologized.

On the other end of the couch, Rei rolled her eyes. "Good grief, Minako-chan! What on earth is your hurry…" It was the miko's turn to blush. "Oh, right. I keep forgetting."

"I don't have that luxury. We have so little time together, I don't want to wait until I'm sixteen. I know it's a little over a year away, but…"

"Try two years, Minako-chan," Rei interrupted.

"What? I'm almost fifteen…"

"You're in the same grade I am, Minako-chan, and I won't be fifteen until April, five months from now."

"Are you sure?" Minako began counting on her fingers, "90, 91, 92…"

The girl trailed off when she saw the look that passed between the priest and the miko. "Minako-chan," Rei said gently, "As far as the law is concerned, you can't count your age based on how many New Years have passed, only from the anniversary of your birth. Speaking of which, when is it?"

"October 22nd."

Father Dominic reached out, and took Minako's hand. "Minako-chan, do you have any idea of how close you came to putting both your boyfriend and myself in a very unfortunate position?"

"Fiancé," Minako corrected absently. "What do you mean?"

"Minako-chan, you've been fourteen for only three weeks. If he had touched you _that way_ before your birthday, then he could've gone to prison for statutory rape. It is a very good thing that he moved out, because…" The priest trailed off as the girl stared at him in horror, all the blood draining from her face. "Minako-chan?" The girl stared at him blankly, her face going strangely slack, before she slowly toppled to her right. "Minako-chan!"

- + - + -

Ranma smiled as she stepped from the office building that was a discrete distance from the Diet, a heavy looking case in her hand. She honestly hadn't expected her second meeting with the military to go that well, given her abrupt disappearance the day before. Not only had she secured a much better laptop computer for Artemis, but a user account that had high-level access to both Japanese and American government information that was necessary for their search for Beryl.

Colonel Anderson was also eerily informed about the situation in China's Hidden Kingdoms, and while he didn't say it outright, she had a feeling that he knew her _real_ identity, as opposed to what was still _technically_ a stage name. The man had also promised a secure location where three very powerful individuals could discuss things, in his words, "in a calm and rational manner." She'd need to find time to visit the Hilton today, where, her agent had informed her, Herb of the Musk Dynasty was waiting to see Takeda Megumi.

'_The walls between the Takeda Twins and myself are eroding fast,' _Ranma thought. _'I think it's time to contact the others, before the walls crumble completely. I owe them that much.' _Stepping into an alley, Ranma teleported.

- + - + -

"I'm fine," Minako said to the EMT, who was taking her vitals. "There's no need for me to go to the hospital." Nearby, Father Dominic and Rei watched her worriedly.

"Young lady," the man said, "Perfectly healthy girls like yourself don't pass out for no reason. It would be best if a doctor checked you out."

Minako sighed. "I never said I was perfectly healthy, and I know exactly what's wrong with me." She pulled her medic alert necklace from under her shirt, handing it to the man. She could tell the moment he put things together, and he looked at her with an expression she hated: pity.

"I see," he said, standing up wearily. "I… I have a daughter about your age, Aino-san. She's a big fan. I'm not sure how she'll…"

"What's her name? I'm sure she'd like an autograph," the idol singer said with a smile, deliberately misunderstanding the man. After she handed her autograph to the EMT, she gave him a look that said she didn't want to talk about it.

He took the hint, along with the autograph. "Thank you, Aino-san, I'm sure she'll love it." He bowed low, before packing up his gear and leaving the room.

After the EMT left, she felt Father Dominic's hand on her shoulder. "Minako-chan, what's wrong?"

"I have terminal brain cancer, Father," Minako said, not turning around. "Barring a miracle, I have less than a year to live." For the second time today, Minako felt her control slipping. "I… I don't want to die without…" She whirled around, clinging to the man, unable to speak anymore. It was Rei's very tentative hug that allowed her to regain control of her emotions.

"Minako-chan," the priest said once she stepped away from him, his hands on her shoulder. "God's ways are not Man's ways. Even if you cannot get married in the eyes of the law, you can get married in His eyes. And I would be happy to marry you myself. And maybe God, in His mercy, will give you the miracle you seek."

- + - + -

Standing within her throne room, Beryl summoned her subjects into her presence. When they had assembled, she said imperiously. "Jadeite, Nephrite, attend me."

Her two generals emerged from the small crowd assembled below her dais. Both bowed low, their hands over their hearts. "What is your command, my Queen?" both asked in unison.

She smiled benevolently at her people. "You have both done well so far," she said. "Our numbers swell, and soon the bridge to Tokyo shall be complete. Jadeite, I have a need of more energy. Take a squad to this location," she said, handing the young blonde man a map. "There must be no eyewitnesses." The young man bowed again, before signaling that six of her new youma were to follow.

She turned to Nephrite next. "Nephrite, I have located another clan. Take a squad to this location, and capture all you find there. Make sure none escape to warn the rest."

Nephrite stiffened, not even reaching for the map she held. "Your Majesty, surely you don't expect me to get even more of these beasts," he sneered. "My talents are far better suited for…"

"Silence!" Queen Beryl summoned her power, reasserting her hold on Nephrite's soul. Once again she cursed Serenity. Ever since the meddling girl had warped Nephrite's mind, through her possession of Endymion's body, her control of the man had been slipping. "If you love me, Nephrite, then you will get me what I need."

"My apologies, my lady," he said, bowing, before he took the map. He also signaled for six of her subjects to follow him.

"The rest of you are dismissed," she said magnanimously. The remaining youma bowed, before returning to their chambers to do whatever they did in their spare time. Soon, they would be busy enough.

Beryl left her throne room, descending once again to dungeons. _'It is always good to have a back-up plan,'_ she thought with satisfaction. _'These creatures have a surprising amount of human energy, thanks to their feeding upon humanity. I would've went this route first, if it wasn't for the fact that the energy is ill suited for reviving Queen Metaria. The fact that the extraction process transforms them into exactly the kind of youma I need just makes it sweeter…'_

A hand, its yellowed nails long and broken, shot out at Beryl. Unconcerned, she looked at its owner, well aware that she was safely out of his reach. "You know you can't reach me. Why do you continue to humiliate yourself?"

Within the shadowy dungeon cell, the hand's owner said, _**"Sha't'arak kish'karak vorak. Da' fat'ka ita'sla vorak."**_

"Speak Japanese, you fool. I know you know the language."

"I said, 'May your reign be measured in days, and your death measured in years.' Sooner or later, you'll make a mistake, and then I'll feast upon your body, witch."

Beryl summoned her power, driving the creature back from the bars of his cell. "Is it not written in your laws that it is just that the strong prey upon the weak? How can you object to being the prey of your betters?"

"You rob us of our strength, our memories, and even our will. I will have my revenge for this abomination. You are a fool for not destroying me."

Beryl laughed. "Don't worry, Maaro. You'll get your turn soon enough. Until then, I guess you'll have to remain my guest."

Beryl stepped back, taunting the creature within the cell. He howled in frustration as he once again failed to reach her. Still laughing, she ascended back to her throne room, as she awaited the next crop to be harvested. _'Yes, the personal touch is far more satisfying. The energy trap was efficient, but not nearly as much fun.'_

In her empty throne room, Beryl smiled. _'I really must be careful. It would not do for the boys to realize how little I truly need them. They are, after all, extremely expendable.'_

- + - + -

Hibiki Ryouga frowned at the gadget in his hand, resisting the urge to throw it into the nearby lake. For something that was supposed to keep people from being lost, it didn't do a very good job. Only the fact that it did indeed keep him from getting lost as often as he used to prevented him from throwing away the GPS unit.

"Proceed three meters, and turn to the right," the unit said. "Proceed two meters, and turn to the right. Proceed one meter, and turn to the right. Turn to the right. No, your other right. Turn around and proceed one meter. No, turn around! For the love of God, TURN AROUND!"

Ryouga turned off the electronic device angrily, before looking over his shoulder at the man he was carrying. He was eerily quiet, and sometimes Ryouga wondered if he was actually alive, despite the fact that he was able to keep a hold on the martial artist's back.

"Don't worry, man," Ryouga said over his shoulder. "I'll get you to a doctor soon enough."

With a sigh, Ryouga swallowed his pride and turned on the demonic device once again. One of these days, he'd track down the joker that programmed this thing. Every time he turned it on, it would say, "How the hell did I get here this time?"


	28. Chapter 28

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I refuse to let little things like technicalities get in the way of a good joke. Or at least what I think is a good joke. Keep that in mind. ^_^;

Author's Note: It's once again National Novel Writer's Month, so I'm going to try to finish this story by the end of the month. *crosses fingers*

Chapter Twenty-Eight – Homecoming, part one: Saotome

Ranma arrived in the hidden headquarters of the Sailor Senshi in her customary shimmer of air. Only four of the girls were there, and they were involved, one way or another, in a rather heated discussion between Osaka Naru and Kino Makoto. Tsukino Usagi was holding a workbook and staring at Naru with puppy-dog eyes. Mizuno Ami worriedly turned her head from one speaker to another, as if watching a tennis match.

"Friends should help each other," Makoto said stubbornly, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Usagi-chan needs to do her own homework. Doing it for her means she won't learn anything," Naru insisted.

"Sorry to interrupt, girls, but have any of you seen Minako-chan?" Ranma asked. "I wanted double check if she wanted to come along to meet some friends of mine."

"She had an appointment after school, Ranma-san, but she should've been finished by now." Ami said, glancing at the clock. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks. When you see her, give her my love. I've got quite a bit to do before I can make it home tonight." She paused at the door to the dojo. "Oh, and Usagi-chan?"

"Hai?"

"You really should do your own homework. Warping the laws of nature is a lot easier when you know what they are."

"I did, but I did the wrong workbook! And the contest is tomorrow!"

Ranma opened her mouth to ask a question, but instead shook her head. "Never mind. I need to give this new computer to Artemis, and then I'm off again. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Bye, bye!" Usagi waved. The black haired girl looked around nervously at her friends, who had gathered around her. "I… forgot to mention the contest, didn't I?"

- + - + -

"Hey, Artemis! I'm home!" Ranma called out as she entered their apartment, chuckling lightly.

The white plush toy cat peered around the screen of Ranma's laptop. "Welcome home, Ranma. What's so funny?"

"Usagi-chan."

"I see. How'd the meeting with the Musk go?"

"Herb's wife certainly has mellowed him. He was a real jerk the last time we met. At any rate, he agreed to help, so all we have to do now is corral Kiima." Ranma placed the heavy case on the table beside cat. "The meeting with the military also went well. They're preparing the place to meet, and they gave us this." She opened up the case, revealing a laptop and a number of peripherals, including a small satellite dish. "This will allow you to access some high level government databases, including that of the World Health Organization. It has a satellite link, and high-level encryption for security, since they don't want us connecting it to the apartment's wifi, or a physical network." Ranma walked onto the balcony to set up the satellite dish.

"Yes! This should make tracking Beryl down easier," Artemis said, booting up the government computer.

"Yeah. Beryl has been so inactive so far, we're losing our edge. Not only that, I prefer to take the initiative. I just hope Beryl is holed up somewhere accessable."

"Me too, Ranma. Me too. Ah… we're online." The plush toy cat tapped a few keys. "I just wish modern computer's were more advanced…"

"Well, good hunting, Artemis." Ranma said, walking towards the kitchen. "Since I'll be in Nerima anyways, I'm going to ask Toufuu-sensei if he's decided on where he's going to live. If he's agreeable, I'd like to create a link to wherever he's living. I'd like to know there's a doctor available in case of emergency." Ranma walked out, male and wearing an expensive looking suit. "What do you think?"

"Looking good." Artemis pointed his cell phone at Ranma and snapped a picture. "I figure Minako-chan might want a picture of you dressed like that."

"Good thinking. Do you know when she's supposed to be back?"

"No, but no matter what, she'll be back by 11:35 P.M. sharp."

Ranma glanced at his watch. "Then I'd better make a point of getting back here by then. I love watching her watch that program, and it's the finale."

"Good luck, Ranma."

"You too." With a last glance at the dojo door, Ranma vanished into a shimmer of air.

- + - + -

Colonel Richard Anderson glanced from his subordinate to the intricate diagram on the paper in his hand. "Do you understand what this is supposed to do?"

The blonde haired captain nodded. "Yes sir. You see, this particular set of sigils…"

The man wearily held up his hand, stopping the woman before she could really get going. "I didn't ask you to explain how it works. I simply want to know if you understand what it does."

"Yes sir." Captain Tapping said, nodding. "I may not have the ability to work magic, but the general concepts are quite easy to understand. Ms. Black says she's enjoying the challenge of securing a room to hold four powerful individuals, two of which blew the top off a mountain when they last fought."

"Right... it's easy to forget how powerful these people are. Do you ever feel obsolete?"

"No, sir. Given how rare magical ability is in the first place, and the amount of training necessary to harness even the weakest magics, we're far from obsolete. Especially given how easy it is get magic to work with technology. Speaking of which, any response about your request to the Pentagon?"

"Yes. Two more magi-op teams, MO two and three, are mobilizing to deploy to Japan, and they'll be bringing specialized armor, ammunition, and equipment. Teams four through seven are on standby, for deployment once Saotome and his kids are able to locate Beryl's location. Plus they agreed to hire Mr. Judge. I want a trained mage on hand, and I've worked with him before." The colonel frowned. "They still don't want to release the Artifact, though."

"Even though they've had twenty-three years, and have failed to get it to work?"

"_Especially_ because they've been trying for twenty-three years. After all, as near as they can tell, the Artifact is working perfectly. The interface even adapts to the user's native language." Colonel Anderson snorted in amusement. "The big brains simply don't like the fact that something as simple as a password is all that's keeping them from the secrets of the Ancient's civilization."

- + - + -

Ranma appeared in the alleyway near Ono Chiropractics and Acupuncture in Nerima in a shimmer of air. Taking a quick glance up and down the street, he quickly slipped into the clinic.

"Hello, handsome," Ono Kasumi greeted him with a smile. "You're running a bit behind."

"Sorry. The meeting with the military ran a bit long." Ranma shook his head, sighing. "There never seems to be enough time for what I _need _to do, let alone what…"

Kasumi's friendly smile changed into a frown. "Don't you dare go making two of yourself again!"

"Don't worry. I won't be using the instant twin powder again," Ranma smirked, "Unless it's under the supervision of a qualified doctor, of course."

Kasumi rolled her eyes. "You're visiting your parents first?"

"Yes. Is the Doc home right now?"

"Right here, Ranma," Ono Toufuu said, stepping into the waiting room. "What's up?"

"Have you guys decided on where you're moving to?"

Toufuu gave an embarrassed laugh. "Actually, given everything that's been happening, we decided I should turn down the job. That'll keep us out of the area of conflict, plus that'll give you access to a doctor 24/7."

"Really?" Ranma blinked, smiling. "Would you mind terribly if we created a link to the clinic? It'll give you guys access to a dojo and an artifical onsen… not to mention a karaoke parlor-slash-clubhouse."

The pair exchanged a glance. "Of course, Ranma," Kasumi said. "Will we get to meet the rest of the Senshi?"

"If they agree. I'll contact Artemis, and he and Luna will arrange things. Well… I'm off to my parents."

"Good luck, Ranma. I'll let Akane and Ukyou know to expect you."

"Thanks!"

- + - + -

Ranma shimmered into existence near a small two-story home in Nerima. He stared at the building for a few seconds, before sighing. _'Even after all these years, this place __doesn't feel like home. My parents may live here, but it's not home.' _He reached into his pocket to make sure his cell phone was on and open. _'Well, here we go...'_

As he opened the gate to the small front yard, he smiled fondly as he realized that the former Tendo dojo no longer felt like home either. Home was the apartment overlooking Prince Arisagawa park that he shared with an animated stuffed toy cat and an old beyond her years teenager.

Before he reached the porch, the front door opened, and an elegant older woman stood framed in the doorway. "Welcome home, my son."

- + - + -

The first thing Aino Minako and Hino Rei noticed when they arrived at the Crown was the three girls gathered around Usagi. Feeling a bit of tension in the air, Minako called out, "Hey, everyone. What's up?"

Usagi's eyes lit up when she saw her friend standing at the top of the stairs. "Minako-chan!" She broke free of the crowd and ran towards the brunette, a workbook in her hands, calling, "Minako-chan! Minako-chan!"

Minako saw Naru frown at her friend. "Usagi-chan! Don't you-"

"You just missed Ranma-san! If you hurry, you might be able to catch him!"

"-dare," the tall girl finished. "Sorry, Usagi-chan."

"Thanks, Usagi-chan," Minako said, "But I really don't want to go with him on this trip. Even though his reasons were good ones, he basically ran away from home. This reunion is going to be awkward enough as it is." The girl plopped into a chair, and dropped her head onto her folded arms on the table. "I really don't think dragging his jail-bait fiancee along will help matters."

Minako felt an arm drop across her shoulders. "Minako-chan? What's wrong?"

Rei took the seat on the other side of Minako. "Minako-chan had a bit of a nasty shock today. She isn't as old as she thought she was. Plus she had what she called a 'spell.' Scared both me and Father Dominic half to death."

"Minako-chan?"

"It's nothing to worry about, Usagi-chan. Just my little friend being overly dramatic."

Rei snorted. "Minako... it's called a micro-stroke. One of these days, you'll wake up from one of these paralyzed... if you wake up at all." Rei wiped furiously at her eyes. "We've got to find the princess and get you healed up before that happens."

General silence filled the room as the remaining girls settled around the table. After several minutes of awkward silence, Minako sat up and asked, "So... what did Naru-chan _think_ you were going to ask me?"

Usagi glanced at her workbook on table, blushing. "It's silly."

"Right now, I could really use some silliness, Usagi-chan."

"I really wanted to enter the Nako Nako costume contest, but I did the wrong workbook, and I don't have time to make a costume _and _get the right workbook done in time for the test tomorrow. And I was really looking forward to it."

Minako frowned. "I thought they cancelled those things when I decided to scale back my appearances."

"Yeah, but the grand prize is a signed Nako Nako doll!"

Minako smiled at her friend. "Usagi-chan, if you really want one, I can get one for you."

Minako blinked when Usagi looked at her like she was an idiot. "Where's the fun in that?"

- + - + -

Ranma sat uncomfortably across the table from his two parents. Even though he had rehearsed what he would say when the time finally came, he still found it difficult to break the silence between them.

Unfortunately, his father didn't have any problems keeping his mouth shut. "So, boy... you finally came to your senses and decided to marry Akane, eh?"

Ranma sighed and reached into his pocket. _'Why did the first words out of his mouth have to be those?' _

"Genma!" Nodoka's voice stopped his hand. "We agreed that we wouldn't put any pressure on Ranma when he returned. _You _broke the agreement between our clan and the Tendos by engaging him to Kuonji, so he is free to marry whomever he chooses." Nodoka smiled at her son. "Besides, Akane is a married woman with two children of her own. Even if Akane was willing to divorce, it wouldn't be fair to the children. So there will be no more discussion about the subject. Is that clear?"

Genma hung his head. "Yes, Dear."

Ranma smiled at his mother. "Thank you, Mom. Even if Akane was single, I just proposed to a wonderful girl of my own. I'm not about to break her heart."

Nodoka perked up. "Oh? What's her name?"

"Aino Minako."

Ranma became wary when his mother's expression changed to what he privately called her "honor-bound" look. "Ranma, are you aware of significance of the Aino name?"

Ranma started when his father barked out, "Nodoka!"

The woman held up her hand. "I know, Dear. But this is entirely different. Answer my question, Ranma."

Ranma's hand returned to his pocket. "I am quite aware of the significance of the Aino name, Mother."

Nodoka's bright smile returned. "Good. A man shouldn't let antiquated traditions stand in his way." She glanced at her husband. "Don't give me that look, Dear. While I agreed that I wouldn't insist that Ranma be 'manly,' it's quite clear to me that Ranma _is _a man, despite..." Nodoka blushed. "Forgive me, Ranma-kun. I didn't mean it that way. I know you've accepted your curse. I'm just relieved that in gaining a daughter, I didn't lose a son."

"Forgiven and forgotten, Mom."

"Thank you. Now, to important matters. Do you have a picture of the young lady?"

"Of course." He handed her his favorite picture of Minako, sitting on the couch clutching Artemis tightly to her chest as she watched her favorite program, a notebook forgotten on her lap because she was too enraptured by what she was watching to take notes. _'What kind of anime makes you to take notes just to figure out what was going on? A good one, I suppose.'_

"Oh, she is quite the beauty."

Genma looked over his wife's shoulder. "Damn... she doesn't even look old enough to be in high school. Robbing the cradle, boy?"

Mother and son sighed. "I believe that Aino Minako is in Junior High, and it wasn't that long ago that that was old enough to marry, Husband." Nodoka looked at her son. "I would love to know how the two of you met..."

- + - + -

Artemis stretched, feeling stiff after a marathon session of learning the software on the computer. _'This thing may be state of the art for the 21__st__ century, but I miss how user __friendly the Moon kingdom computers were.' _The stuffed toy cat glanced at the clock. _'It's almost 7:00 already. I'm surprised Minako-chan hasn't come home for dinner yet. I suppose she's still at the Crown.'_ Artemis jumped off the table, and passed through the door too the dojo. A minute later, he entered the space they had borrowed in the Crown, and froze at the very unusual sight.

Tsukino Usagi was doing homework. Granted that wasn't _too_ unusual, but the girl was easily distracted, especially when there was interesting things going on around her. And what was going on behind the girl was _definitely_ distraction worthy.

Hino Rei was standing on the stage, a bored look on her face. Around her were the rest of the Senshi and Osaka Naru. Those that weren't draping cloth or bits of foam around the girl were off to the side, sewing and gluing. Completely confused, Artemis padded over to where Luna was watching the goings on, an amused look on her face. "Hey, Luna. What's going on?"

"That's a long story..."

- + - + -

"I really wish you didn't have to leave so soon, my son."

"Me too, Mom, but I think I owe it to both Akane and Ucchan to visit them tonight. Don't worry, I'm not planning on disappearing again. And you'll get to meet Minako-chan on Friday."

Genma snorted. "Why'd you'd you leave in the first place, boy?"

"Besides the fact that I had half the Amazon nation after my hide?" Ranma grimaced. "When the past life woke up, I not only inherited a lot of power, but way too much anger. I... was afraid I'd kill someone I liked by accident."

"But that's in the past, right boy?"

"You bet ya, pops." Ranma smirked at his father. "These days, when I kill someone, it's quite deliberate. Well, I'm off." Ranma grinned at his father's expression right before he vanished with a pop of in-rushing air.

Genma looked at his wife worriedly. "He wasn't serious, was he No-chan?"

"He said he was a devil hunter, dear. What do you think?"

Author's notes: Well, it's day one of NaNoWriMo, and I've already had to break apart the first new chapter into smaller, easier to handle bits. I'll be very glad when this in-story week is over, and I'm sure Ranma will be as well. It's a very busy one for our hero, but once its over the pace of the story can accelerate once again. It's important to the story that Ranma reunite with his family and friends, but it's taking a lot longer than I thought.

Next Chapter: Homecoming, part two: Tendo


	29. Chapter 29

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: The characters from Ranma ½, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, and Devil Hunter Yohko that appear in this story are not my own. I'm just playing with them for my own amusement. If anyone else is entertained by this story, that's a bonus.

Chapter Twenty-Nine – Return to Nerima part two: Tendo

Ranma appeared with a pop several blocks from where the Tendo dojo once stood. It had been years since he'd last been that sloppy with a teleport, but he had wanted show off, and he had wanted to make it obvious he wasn't just using some kind of stealth technique.

As he walked towards the former Tendo Dojo, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Pressing the number seven speed-dial, he waited for the other end to pick up. "Hello, Takeda-obaasan? It's Ranma... Yeah, it went well. I really can't thank you enough for what you've done for me over the years... Okay, I'll see you Friday. Bye." Pocketing his cell phone, he looked at the place he used to call home.

When he'd been living at the Tendo Dojo, he hadn't realized just how valuable the huge property was, given the value of land in Tokyo. He wasn't surprised that after he left, old man Tendo had done what was necessary to secure his family's legacy. Nor did he blame Akane for volunteering to be the one to do so. He agreed that Kasumi had sacrificed so much for her family already. But he had been surprised what they'd done with the place.

Ranma looked at the sign that had once read "Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts." It now read "Tendo All-Girl's Dorm." Gone was the large two-story home and detached dojo. Instead, a four-story apartment stood on the former property. Going through the gate, he saw that the apartment only stood on half the property. The other half included the old koi pond. Where the dojo once stood was more landscaping, including what he knew to be a rather large outdoor hot tub. He knew that Akane's husband was the younger son of a rather wealthy family, which was why he was free to adopt the Tendo family name, but it was still a rather ostentatious display of wealth.

Ranma's thoughts were interrupted by an angry voice. "You! What do you think you're doing here? This is a girl's dorm!"

He turned around and faced a teenaged girl in a St. Hebereke uniform. The girl had a bag of kendo equipment slung over her shoulder, and she was glaring at him suspiciously.

As politely as he could, he bowed and said, "Hello. I'm Saotome Ranma. I'm here to visit Tendo Akane."

The girl dropped the bag, and knelt to unzip it. "So, the notorious Saotome Ranma has returned to ruin Manager-san's happy marriage."

Ranma watched the girl warily. _'I can see Furinkan-cho hasn't changed much since my absense.' _"Wait a second, she's just a friend I haven't seen in over ten years..."

Ranma's unease increased when the produced not a bokken, but an actual katana. "I will not permit it!"

"Hey! Wait a second!" He dodged the girl's charge. "Put that away!" He ducked beneath the girl's surprisingly skilled attack. "Dammit!" He summoned a sword of his own and rather quickly disarmed the girl.

Holding the girl at swordpoint, he said, "Now listen here, I don't know what you've been told, and I don't care. Don't ever draw live steel against someone again, unless you're prepared to kill or be killed. Is that clear?"

Before the girl could reply, a very familiar voice called out, "What is going on out here?"

Ranma warily turned his head. "Er... Hi, Akane. Um... I can explain..."

Much to his surprise, Akane, her hair once again grown out, smiled at him. "There's no need, Ranma." She walked into the yard and picked up the girl's sword. "Sakura-chan, I've told you before that such behavior wouldn't be tolerated anymore."

"But, Manager-san! This is Sao-"

"Do you like living here, Sakura-chan?"

"Hai."

"Then I never want to see you draw live steel against another human being. The next time you do, you can go back home. Is that clear?"

"But..."

"Is that clear?"

"Hai."

"Good. Now go to your room. I'll be holding onto this in the meantime." She picked up the discarded scabbard, and sheathed the sword. "Honestly, that girl... oh, and Ranma? You can put away your own sword."

"Oh, right. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly at his ex-fiancee as he returned the sword to subspace. Akane grinned back. The two stood in the yard several minutes grinning at each other, before Ranma asked, "Do you want to call me 'baka' as much as I want to call you 'tomboy?'"

Akane laughed merrily. "Oh, thank goodness. I was worried it was just me." Much to Ranma's surprise, she gave him a quick hug. "It's been way too long, Ranma. And what a way to return home."

"What was that about, anyways?"

"That was Kuno Sakura, Tatewaki and Kodachi's little sister."

Ranma looked at the woman beside him in surprise. "They had a little sister?"

"She'd been living with her aunt while you were here," Akane explained as she ushered him into the apartment. "She moved back back home three years ago, and moved in here after about three months of living with her family. She's relatively sane, except for an obsession with perverts." Akane grinned lopsidedly. "If I was half that bad when I was her age, I'm really, really sorry."

"I wasn't very mature at that age either, Akane. When am I going to meet your husband?"

"He'll be here soon," an unfamiliar voice said. A woman in her mid twenties stepped out of the hallway half hidden behind the stairs nearby. "He asked me tell you he's redrawing the last panel, but he'll be right out after he's scanned it." She leaned towards Ranma. "So you're the famous Saotome Ranma. You're not exactly what I expected." He was forced to take a step back when she reached out to caress his chest. "You aren't seeing anyone right now, are you?"

Akane grabbed the woman's arm, pulling her away. "That's enough, Kotone-san."

"Oh, come off it, Manager-san. He's a total hunk, he obviously has money, and _you're _married. You have no right to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous. I'm protecting my _friend_ from you."

"And I am seeing someone, Kotone-san," Ranma added.

"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying, can you?" She waved as she started up the stairs. "Have fun, you two."

"Honestly, that girl is shameless." Akane said, leading Ranma down the first floor hall. "So are you really seeing someone, or was that just a line to get Kotone off your back?"

"I'm really seeing someone, Akane. And we just recently got engaged."

"I see..."

A man was waiting for them in a rather large living room. Ranma was rather surprised to see a wide-screen TV along with some rather high-tech AV equipment. Three sofas surrounded a table in the middle of the room, facing the entertainment center.

"You must be Saotome Ranma."

"And you must be Tendo Ken. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Why don't we sit down." He gestured to the low table in the middle of the living room. "Akiko-chan was kind enough to prepare some refreshments."

"Thanks." Akane and Ken took the sofa farthest from the doorway, while Ranma sat in the longer middle section, but close to the two Tendos. Ranma noted wryly that Ken sat between the him and Akane. "So, Ken-san, I understand you're a manga artist. I even picked up the first couple volumes." Ranma smirked at the two of them. "I have to admit, the general premise of the whole thing is rather absurd. The idea that a bunch of women would fall in love with one man is a bit far fetched."

Akane, who'd been taking a sip of tea, choked.

"That's true, but it I have to admit the format has proven rather popular. It's even being turned into an anime." Tendo Ken looked over the rim of his own tea cup. "So, what have you been doing with yourself?"

"I got into show-business. You know about my curse, right?"

"I've heard about it."

"Well, fortunately, stunt women are in rather high demand..."

Ranma trailed off as a girl about Minako's age jumped over the couch, landing almost into his lap. "Hi, Oji-san!" The girl, a blonde foreigner, looked at Ranma suspiciously. "You're not Oji-san!"

"No, I'm not. I'm Saotome Ranma."

"Hi, I'm Susan Carlos! Say, you're kind of cute!"

Akane sighed. "Susan-chan, this isn't a good time right now..."

"But Oba-san! I figured you'd want to see the new Devil Hunter Yohko trailer!"

Ranma frowned. "I didn't think it would be released this soon."

"It's an advanced copy that got leaked onto the internet."

Akane glanced apologetically at Ranma. "Susan, I'll see it later."

"Oh, come on Akane, I know you want to see it now," Ken said with a sly grin. "She's got a total lesbian crush on Takeda Megumi," he added as an aside to Ranma.

"I do not have a lesbian crush on Takeda-sama!"

_'I don't believe this.' _Ranma thought. "I'm kind of curious myself."

"Great! I'll go play it now!" She grabbed a remote from the table, and turned on the TV.

"Susan, you didn't do something with the TV again, did you?" Akane asked.

"Just added a wireless media server."

"You're supposed to ask permission first."

"But then I wouldn't be able to do this!" She pressed a button on the remote, and a somewhat grainy video began playing on the TV. "Sorry about the resolution, but this was the highest one they had."

From the sound system, a deep male voice began narrating the images on the screen, which Ranma recognized as coming from the previous installments of the Devil Hunter Yohko series.

"_She faced the evil power of the Hell Master..._

"_She battled against the Legion of the Damned..._

"_She withstood the fury of the Evil Elementals..._

"_And on February 3rd, Mano Yohko faces her greatest challenge yet..."_

_Mano Yohko ran across campus, crying out, "Out of my way! I'm late!"_

"_College."_

_Yohko raised her hand in class. "Sensei, would you believe a demon ate my homework?"_

_Yohko held the attention of a devil beast, while several young men and women ran away._

_The professor, a handsome man with long hair and glasses, looked at Yohko in amusement. "Well, Mano-san, for such a unique excuse, I'll give you until tonight to turn it in."_

Akane looked at the screen in amazement. "Ranma... was that _Mousse?_"

Ranma fought off a smirk. "It sure looked like him."

_Ogawa Chigako flopped down on a bed in a dorm. "So let me get this strait. This guy is handsome..."_

_Yohko and a very handsome young man exchanged glances as they passed in a hallway._

"_He's smart..."_

_Yohko and the same young man stood at the same laboratory table, working on a chemistry experiment._

"_And he's interested in you."_

_Yohko and the man were dancing at a college function._

_Chigako looked at Yohko, who was sitting on the other bed. "So... demon?"_

_Yohko nodded. "Demon."_

_Devil Hunter Yohko leapt from a support pillar, launching a magical attack at the devil beast as it ran head first into the pillar below her._

"_Devil Hunter Yohko..."_

_Devil Hunter Yohko faced off against several devil beasts._

"_Is..."_

_Devil Hunter Yohko nimbly dodged several tentacles that were reaching for her._

"_Back!"_

_On the screen came the title of the movie: Curse of the Warlord_

"_Coming soon to a theater near you."_

Akane sighed when the trailer ended, holding her hands close to her heart. "Oh, this looks like it'll be the best one yet," she said, a bit starry eyed.

Ken turned to Ranma and said, "See... total lesbian crush."

"Will you stop saying that?"

"Show him your Takeda Megumi membership card, dear," Ken teased. "She's number 17! She saw her when she played the villian's henchwoman in 'Onigumo Four,' and it was love at first sight!"

"Will you please stop?" Akane begged.

Ranma spotted a karaoke machine. "Say, Akane, what's your favorite Takeda Megumi song? Nevermind, I think I can guess."

"It's not a crush!" Akane insisted indignantly, ignoring Ranma. "I just happen to admire her! She's a great actress, she's really pretty, and she's a martial artist like me, and she even does her own stunts. And she's a real life devil hunter too!"

Ranma grabbed a glass of water, and carefully splashed himself, changing into her "tomboy" guise. She wasn't surprised, given Akane's rant, that a Takeda Megumi karaoke CD was already loaded in the machine.

"She's a sensitive soul, unlike some people I can name! Her songs of lost love really touch my heart! I can just feel the sadness in her voice when she starts singing..."

_o/~ On that day, we walked our separate ways o/~__  
__o/~ I wonder what kind of excuses I would come up with now o/~__  
__o/~ I sense weakness which could not be concealed every time I stumble blindly o/~__  
__o/~ Your presence that day, slowed me down o/~__  
_

Ranma kept singing as she watched Akane turn to her in confusion. She also saw Ken's eyes narrow in thought, before opening wide to stare at her.

_  
__o/~ If you recall, we were very alike, right? o/~__  
__o/~ Whether it was our untruthful words, or our retreating figures that pretended to be brave o/~__  
__o/~ I'm sure the circumstances are the same for the both of us. o/~_

_o/~ Our emotions were the same, and I'm not strong enough to tell you about my insecurity o/~  
_

Susan was the second one to get it. Akane, on the other hand, still looked confused. Ranma had long wondered if Akane was really as oblivious as she appeared to be. Ranma got her answer that night. It took nearly the whole song for Akane to put two and two together.

_o/~ An eternal dream, if I keep on tracing the painted world, o/~__  
__o/~ I will find those times and your radiance there which existed without changing. o/~_

_o/~ See, you will be rewarded everything o/~__  
__o/~ In the middle of a continuously bewildering journey, o/~_

_o/~ I bore my wounds within the fragments of regret but o/~__  
__o/~ The answers I kept on searching for is here now, and I held onto your small hand… o/~_

"Ranma..."

"Yeah, Akane?"

"Don't tell me you're a Takeda Megumi fan too!"

Ranma wasn't the only one to kiss tatami. Tendo Ken did manage to find his voice first. "Dear, I don't think he's merely a fan."

"You mean..."

"That's right..."

"She's your fiancee?" She frowned, obvious to the fallen around her. "She always claimed she was a lesbian... wait, I bet it's because of your girl side! That's probably the only way she could marry another girl." She glanced at the others around her. "What's wrong?"

Ranma triggered her full Megumi persona. "Akane?"

"Ranma? You're..."

"Hai. I'm Takeda Megumi." Ranma cocked her head at her ex fiancee. "Akane, are you alright?"

"I suppose that mean's your Megumi's brother Kappei as well."

Ranma shifted back to her normal appearance. "That's right. And before you ask, I started abusing instant twin powder in order to keep up my busy schedule. Kasumi really read me the riot act when I went to Toufuu for help."

"Oh." Akane stared at Ranma a few seconds, before asking. "So who _is_ your fiancee?"

"Well..."

A second junior high girl burst in the room. "Manager-san, guess what!"

"What is it, Akiko-chan?"

"Aino Minako-chan just announced on her blog that she's gotten engaged!"

Ranma felt a chill down her spine.

"At her age? She's barely old enough to date, let alone think of getting married. So what's the name of the pervert she's getting married to?"

"Her Megumi-sempai's brother, Takeda Kappei!"

Ranma gulped when she felt a very familiar buildup of angry ki.

"Ranma...."

- + - + -

Author's Notes: The excerpts from the song above was Hikari, performed by Jyukai, which was another song from Fate/Stay Night. As usual, I tweaked the translation I found for better effect. The funny thing is that when I first created Ranma's signature song style, I chose songs primarily for their tone, and how they made me feel, not for the lyrics (which, being in Japanese, I don't understand). Not only did the lyrics match the tone of the music, but the translated lyrics were eerily appropriate.

Coming up, part three of Homecoming: Kuonji.


	30. Chapter 30

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: I have nothing to disclaim here. Move along. Move along.

Chapter Thirty – Homecoming part three: Kuonji

_'I see the tomboy hasn't lost anything in the last ten years. She's still got a great right hook. At least _someone_ doesn't automatically approve of our current relationship,'_ Ranma thought as she took the aerial tour. The skyward bound woman waited for the top of her arc before teleporting into an alley near to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki. When she appeared, she smacked right into the wall of Ucchan's. _'Oops, I forgot to correct for horizontal momentum. Gotta remember: speedy thing goes in, speedy thing goes out.'_

A familiar voice drew her attention. "Oh, hello, Ranma-sama. I take it you just finished visiting Akane-sama."

"Hello, Konatsu-san. It's nice to see you again. You look well." And he did. Unlike the last time he'd seen the male kunoichi, when he still wore second hand, and extensively patched, clothing, the man was wearing a very nice female kimono. "You look better than well. Even I can't tell you're a man."

"That's because I've been to Jusenkyou, Ranma-sama. Would you like some hot water before going in to visit Ukyou-sama?"

"Thanks." Ranma carefully poured water over her head, changing gender and clothing at the same time.

Konatsu looked at him in surprise. "Could you teach that to me, Ranma-sama? I can lock my curse, thanks to Herb-sama, but there are still times I prefer to be male, and changing forms while dressed as a female can be quite painful, as I'm sure you know."

"I can teach you the basic technique, Konatsu-san, but the advanced techniques aren't my own. How's Ucchan?"

"She's waiting for you, Ranma-sama. Anything else you want to know you can learn from her."

"Right. Well, let's go, Konatsu-san."

Ranma followed the kunoichi around to the front of the building, which was surprisingly closed, and the lights were off. "She closed the Ucchan's when Kasumi-dono called, Ranma-sama," Konatsu whispered. When she opened the door, she called out, "Ranma-san is here, Ukyou-san!"

Ranma felt a huge battle aura flare up once he got into the restaurant. Ukyou lept at him from the dark, a giant spatula raised high. "Ranchan, you jackass!" She slammed the spatula down on his head with a squeak.

"You could've..."

_squeak_

"Taken me..."

_squeak_

"With you!!!"

_squeak_

Ranma looked at his friend from beneath the giant, inflatable spatula. "Feel better, Ucchan?"

"No." _squeak_ "But the last time I spent ten years wanting to beat you up didn't help either, and I used a _real_ spatula that time." _squeak_ "You really should've taken me with you, Ranchan."

"Sorry, Ucchan, but at the time I figured I'd be dodging homicidal Amazons, and I didn't want to drag a friend into that mess I created." He looked at Konatsu. "And I knew there was no way I'd get Konatsu-san to stay behind, either."

_squeak_ "And I know better than to ask if you'll bring me with you when you leave, damn you." _squeak_ "Since you arrived via Air-Akane, I'm guessing you told her about your fiancee. It's not too surprising, since she's overprotective of Akiko-chan and Susan-chan."

"Um..."

Ukyou finally put away her giant inflatable spatula. "Ko-chan! It's time to get... _The Envelope!"_

"Hai, Ukyou-san." Konatsu reached into her kimono, and withdrew a thick envelope, which she handed to Ranma.

"Ranchan! If you would be so kind to look at the postmark on the seal..."

The postmark was from last Friday, Ranma noticed, and the was seal was undisturbed. "Um..."

"Feel free to open it up and look inside, Ranchan."

Completely confused, Ranma followed his first friend's directions. Inside he discovered a page of text, news clippings, and other information covering his life as the Takeda twins. The page was an uncomfortably thorough dossier on both him and his two aliases, including information about the use of instant twin powder, and brief summary of his various relationships, including Minako-chan.

_'Okay, this isn't nearly as much fun when you're on the receiving end of something like this.'_

Ukyou smirked at her friend. "We decided not to include the information we have on the Sailor Senshi." The woman laughed at Ranma's look of horror. "Why are you so surprised? They don't call Ko-chan a genius kunoichi for nothing. Don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to ask you to make me your wife, Ranchan.

"But I want you to know that we _are_ here for you. This is our world too, and we want to help. We're both single, unattached martial artists, with no dependents. We've been training hard since we learned about the youma two months ago, and I've already listed Ucchan's with a real estate agent, _and_ I ordered two new yatai for us to use. We know we can't fight the youma on our own, but we _can_ be additional eyes and ears out in the city."

Ukyou poked her friend in the chest. "And before you go and say something stupidly noble and self-sacrificing, we are _not_ asking permission. We're telling you what we're going to do. It's up to you to decide how effective we're going to be." The woman crossed her arms across her chest and glared at Ranma, as if daring him to say, "No."

Ranma sighed. "Alright, Ucchan, Konatsu-san. As far as I'm concerned, you're in. But I'll have to talk to some others, so that you can be truly effective. I'm allied with the Senshi. I don't lead them... I'm serious, Ucchan," Ranma added, seeing her expression. "I'm not in charge of them. They have their own leader and their own advisers. We're cooperating with each other because we can do more together than we can do separately... just like you and Konatsu-san can do more with us, than on your own."

"Oh, I see."

"Well, you seem to know what I've been up to these last ten years. What have you two been doing?"

"Beyond keeping track of you? Life's pretty much been training and the restaurant. I want to know more about you, especially how you got into this whole Sailor Senshi mess in the first place." She grinned when Ranma's stomach growled. "And nobody's fed you? Well, it's been ages since I made a Ranchan special, so grab a stool and start talking. And since this is the last okonomiyaki that I'll cook here, it is definitely on the house."

- + - + -

Ranma returned home in a shimmer of air. "I'm home!"

"Welcome home, Ranma!" Minako and Artemis called out from the living room.

Hearing the song, which had become one of Minako's favorites over last two weeks, coming from the TV , Ranma said, "Getting ready for the grand finale, I see."

"Yep. How'd the trip home go?"

"Better than I deserve, in my opinion. Mom's looking forward to meeting you on Friday, but I'm not sure about Akane. She kinda... cut our reunion short when she learned about you."

"I thought she was married..."

"She's not jealous. She's just got... strong feelings about our age gap. Ucchan was kind of weird, though. After I disappeared, she unleashed Konatsu to keep track of me, so they knew way more about us than I was comfortable with, _including_ the Sailor Senshi."

"What?"

"They've added themselves to the cause by the way."

"Ranma, we've already got one regular person involved in this. I can't let any more get involved."

"Minako, love, this isn't your decision to make. They're part of Team Kunzite, not the Sailor Senshi. _Your_ decision is how much you want them to get involved with the Senshi. They're hardly ordinary, partner, and Konatsu is _very_ good. They'll be two more pairs of eyes and ears out in the city, which we desperately need... Oh, Artemis? The Doc's staying in Nerima, and he agreed to link up the clinic."

The toy cat leaned out from behind the new laptop. "That's great, Ranma."

"Let me know when you're ready to set things up on their end. I'll take you over there."

"Right. I'll get Luna, and we'll start working out the equations now." Artemis jumped off the counter and ran through the door to the dojo.

Ranma grinned at the confused girl. "That's another problem for you, Minako. Doc and Kasumi can be a great help for you girls, but you need to decide how much you want them involved in your group."

"Alright, I'll talk to them... Ranma?"

"Yes, Minako?"

"I... had another spell today. I'm fine, but I figured you'd want to know."

"We definitely need to do something about that. Let's talk to Dr. Toufuu tomorrow, and see what can be done to provoke Usagi into healing you. Whatever's decided, though, I think we should wait until you get back from England. I don't want you half a world away when we try this."

"Definitely. Oh, Father Dominic wants to talk to you."

"Father Dominic?"

"Yes. He..." Minako drew up her knees to her chest. "His church ran the orphanage I grew up in. He's been the closest thing to a father I've had." She smiled wryly. "He's probably going to give you the third degree."

"I'll visit him while you're in England, Minako."

"Thanks." She leaned against him for a while as they watched the action on the TV screen. "Ranma?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any pictures of your friends? You've talked about them, but I don't even know what they look like."

"Sure. I'll go get my photo album." He walked into his bedroom, and returned with an well worn scrapbook. "Keep in mind the pictures are ten years old, though one of the advantages is the fact that we tend to be well preserved. Doc Toufuu's over fifty, but you'd never know from looking at him. And Cologne, Shampoo's great grandmother, is over 300."

"You're kidding!" When Ranma sat down, Minako once again snuggled up against Ranma, as he paged through the old pictures. When he reached the first photo of Akane, Minako grabbed his arm. "Ranma, I've seen this girl."

"You've seen Akane?"

"That's Akane?" Minako stared at the picture. "I definitely saw her at school today. I was on the way back to class after lunch, and I just had this feeling..." She shuddered.

"I'd forgotten about Kiima making a 'spring of drowned Akane.' No wonder I couldn't find her nest." Ranma thought for a few minutes. "Okay, we now know where she'll be, at least part of the day. The challenge is going to be to flush her out. She's probably going to try to get close to you, in order to use one of those impression eggs on you."

"Impression eggs?"

"Anyone who is hatched from one of those eggs will become totally devoted to the first person they see. Instant brainwashing." Ranma frowned. "When she makes her move, call me, and I'll come and fetch her. Keep in mind that Saffron's people in their natural form are a lot stronger than normal human beings, so if you can, keep her away from hot water. If you can't, just drive her outside, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Me?"

"Well, you and the rest of the Senshi, of course. I can't exactly hang around a school all day, after all. Don't worry, you'll all do fine."

"Right... I'll talk to them before school tomorrow." She leaned against him again. "And I thought dealing with Beryl was complicated."

"Welcome to my life, Minako. Complicated is actually..."

"What's wrong."

Ranma grimaced. "I just realized that there's one more person I should visit as soon as possible. Don't worry, I'll be right back."

"It's awfully late..."

"True, but this really can't wait." He stood looked at the girl on the sofa. "I don't suppose you'd pause it if I don't make back in time, would you?" Minako stuck out her tongue at him. "That's what I thought. I'll try to be quick." After stealing a quick kiss, he splashed himself and vanished.

- + - + -

Author's notes: Between work running late, a school levy on the ballet, and the premier of the reimagining of "V," I'm afraid it'll be a short chapter tonight, with a second short chapter tomorrow. And the opening of "V" was great. A lot of homages to the original series, but with plenty of surprises as well. I've also thought about it, and I've decided to make Minako not an orphan, but an abandoned baby. It's the origin of her name Aino, which can be written as "Love's Field" in Kanji.

I'd also like to thank the folks at fukufics dot com for giving these chapters the once over before I post them. A second pair of eyes can help catch things I missed.

Real life was being a pain today, so the final part of Homecoming will hopefully be out on Friday.


	31. Chapter 31

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Chapter 31 – Homecoming, part four: Endymion

Ranma, in her Tomoe Hotaru guise, shimmered into existance outside of a rather nice apartment not too far away from K.O. University. While Ranma had been a frequent (often unexpected, and usually unwanted) visitor to Chiba Mamoru's apartment, this would be the first time she'd ever entered through the front door. Tonight, she wasn't here to train her prince. Instead, she was here to finally make her peace with him. _'And to let him in on my little secret,' _Ranma mused. _'It isn't really fair to him not to know about... Hello!'_

Ranma had just raised her hand to knock on the door when it was opened by a beautiful young woman. Ranma guessed she was around Mamoru's age, and she was looking over her shoulder, calling out, "I'll see you tomorrow, Mamoru." The woman turned and almost ran into Ranma. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes. I know it's a bit late, but would you please tell Chiba-san that Tomoe Hotaru is here to discuss a certain project we're involved in?"

Mamoru joined them at the door. "Tomoe-sensei?" The man asked warily. "What are you doing here?"

"Would you relax, Chiba-san?" Ranma asked with a mischivious grin. "I left my bokken at home." She looked from one to the other. "If I caught you at a bad time, I can always come back tomorrow..."

"No need, sensei." Mamoru looked nervously at the two women, one of whom was wearing an expression on her face that he dreaded, while the other one beat him up regularly. "Kusaka Hina, I'd like you to meet Tomoe Hotaru, who's been training me in more advanced forms of swordsmanship. Tomoe Hotaru-sensei, I'd like you to meet Kusaka Hina, my fiancee."

"Fiancee, huh?" Ranma circled the girl, directing some ki against the girl to make her very uncomfortable. "I must say, you have fine taste." _'Come on girl, get going. I need to talk to your man.'_

"I really have to go, Mamoru. I've got a test tomorrow morning." Hina bowed. "It was nice to meet you Tomoe-san."

Ranma bowed in return. "Likewise, Kusaka-san."

"Would you come in, Tomoe-sensei?"

"Thanks." Ranma waited until they got into the living room before asking, "So... fiancee, huh? I thought you were interested in Sailor Moon."

"It's kind of a long story..."

"Make it short."

"Our parents were friends. When my parents died, her father really helped me. When we were kids, we kind of promised we'd get married. But now..."

Ranma chuckled wryly. "So you've got a fiancee who's an old childhood friend, but you're obviously not interested in marrying, and you don't know how to let her down gently. You've got another girl who you feel a very close to, thanks to the past life, and you've got a homicidal manic who's lusting after your body." The woman laughed at the young man's look of horror. She clasped his shoulder. "Been there, done that, fled screaming."

"What do you think I should do?"

"I'm the worst person to ask. 'Fled screaming,' remember? But your love life isn't the main reason I wanted to talk to you tonight," Ranma said impishly. "But it is something we _do_ need to talk about. Sit down, Chiba-san. _This_ is going to take a while..."

- + - + -

Ranma, once again male due to several demonstrations of his curse, looked on in amusement as the reincarnation of the Prince of Earth digested what he'd just learned.

"My head hurts."

"It is a bit to take in all at once, your Highness."

"I hardly think I rate a 'Your Highness.' I've only got one subject."

"Two subjects, actually. Unfortunately, Zoisite's probably a prisoner of a homicidal maniac right now. Four if you count Jadeite and Nephrite. After all, the only reason why they're with miss 'Love made me crazy' is because she's brainwashed them. I'd like to make rescuing them a priority, after taking care of a big problem with Sailor V, Chiba-dono."

"You haven't told her who I am, have you?"

"No, but you've forgotten she's seen your face. Speaking of which, I'd prefer it if you didn't press me on the Senshi's identities. Our alliance is based on a mutual enemy, and about the only one of the girls' that _isn't_ suspicious of you is Sailor Moon. It might help if you'd stop your burglaries..."

"I've always returned what I've stolen when I found out they're not..."

"The Ginzuishou? Let the Senshi take care of finding it, and their princess."

"I _need_ to find it, and her."

"Believe me, Chiba-dono, you'll find them a lot sooner if you help the girls, rather than compete against them. They've got the inside track, after all."

"I don't rate a 'dono' either."

"Chiba-sama?"

Mamoru glared at the older man.

"How about Mamoru then?"

"Thanks, Ranma." Mamoru said. "I guess I'll follow your lead then. When do I meet the rest of the Senshi?"

"That's up to them. I'm not about to jeopardize my relationship with them by betraying any of their secrets." The older man smiled wickedly. "You might want to write a formal letter of apology, though. And send a gift. I recommend chocolates." Ranma laughed as his prince rolled his eyes. "Now what do you want me to do about Saffron?"

"Why are you even asking me?"

Ranma grabbed the half-empty glass beside him, and splashed herself. Then, in her best little-girl voice, she said, "Because you're my Lord." She grasped her hands prayerfully under her chin, her eyes going wide, with just a hint of tears at the corners. "That means I get to send all my crap uphill."

Chiba Mamoru shuddered. "That would be disturbing enough coming from my Tomoe-sensei. Seriously, though. Why are you asking me?"

"Because the keys to Saffron's ascension represent a tremendous amount of power. Some of my friends are going to be involved in this, and those could put them on even ground with a youma, and I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing by trying to get a truce between China's Hidden Kingdoms."

"Just do what you think is best. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get to sleep. It's almost midnight."

"It is? Crap. Good night, my prince. And don't worry, I'll postpone tomorrow morning's practice." With a grin, Ranma faded from sight.

- + - + -

Ranma appeared back in her appartment. "I'm back!"

"Ranma, hurry!" Minako called from the living room. "He's gonna kiss her! He's gonna kiss her! He's gonna kiss her!!!"

Smiling at the young brunette's excitement, he walked quickly into the living room and looked at the T.V. On the screen was something that would fit into Neon Genesis Evangelion, rather than a romantic interlude, complete with stream of consciousness narration and destructive giant monsters. In the middle of all the destruction, the boy gripped the confused girl by the shoulders, leaned in...

Five seconds later, Ranma valiantly refrained from laughing as Minako's actions mimiced the boy's on the screen. "Argh! It was a dream! No fair! What kind of dream was that?"

- + - + -

Hibiki Ryouga trudged through the blazing deserts of Honshu. He shaded his eyes from the bright sunlight with his hand, as he tried to see an end to the endless dunes. "Where the hell is the Ono Clinic?" He glared at the whimpering electronic device in his hand. "And can you be any less useless?"

"Would you just turn around, get a kayak, and start paddling north?" The GPS unit wailed.

Ryouga turned off the annoying device, and looked at the silent man clinging to his back. "Don't worry man. We're close to Tokyo. I just know it." With a sigh, Ryouga continued south, the rising sun at his back. Just out of sight on the other side of the sand dune, several families prepared for a summer day at the beach.

- + - + -

Queen Beryl gazed around at the majesty of her underground kingdom. Around her, her subjects knelt respectfully in her presence. Before her knelt her two loyal generals. And between the two was the man who she had taken great pleasure in breaking. "Rise, Zoisite, and attend me."

"My thanks, your majesty." Zoisite said with a respectful bow. "How may I serve you?"

"Do you love me, Zoisite?"

"Of course, my lady."

"Then eliminate the Princess for me."

"Which Princess, my lady?"

Beryl looked at Zoisite suspiciously. "What do you mean, 'Which Princess?'"

The white haired man looked at his queen, puzzled. "There is Princess Endymion, Princess Serenity, Princess Fergi, the various imperial princesses..." he recited, ticking off each name on his fingers.

"Serenity, you fool!"

"Of course, you're Majesty. I just wanted to make sure..."

"Just go!"

Zoisite bowed again. "Your servant, my lady." The man skipped merrily out of the throne room.

Jadeite and Nephrite looked warily at each other. "Queen Beryl-sama," Nephrite said tentatively. "I think you may have knocked something loose while breaking Serenity's hold on him."

Beryl glared at the tunnel the pianist had disappered into. "Perhaps. Or perhaps he is just playing another game. Whichever it is, we shall see." She looked at the two men before her. "Nephrite, keep an eye on Zoisite. Report to me if you see any sign of disloyalty."

"Of course, you're majesty." The red haired Shitennou bowed before withdrawing.

"Jadeite, how goes the reconstruction of our bridge to Tokyo?"

"It is on schedule, Queen Beryl-sama. It should be complete within the month."

"Excellent. Once the Ginzuishou is in my hands, I'll be able to awaken Queen Metallia." She smiled. "And then, Endymion will at last be mine."

- + - + -

Author's Notes: Okay, I think I've wasted enough time on this chapter. It's time to move on...

On another note, the webcomic that introduced me to Ranma ½, PvPOnline, did a couple of comics on National Novel Writer's Month. Sheesh, that was way back in October of 2000. Seems like only yesterday...


	32. Chapter 32

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: It's a good thing that Flash compilers cost around $700. The last thing I need is yet another hobby...

Chapter 32 – Operation Tweety Bird: Setting the Trap

_beep beep beep beep_

Mizuno Ami absently reached out to turn off her alarm clock. It took the girl a few seconds to realize that not only did the button fail to turn off the alarm, but she normally woke up before her alarm anyways. In fact, it wasn't her alarm that was making the noise in the first place.

Ami picked up her cell phone beside the alarm, and flipped it open. "Hello, this is Mizuno Ami... Minako-chan, isn't it a bit early... Alright, I'll be right over." Still half asleep, she grabbed her purse, and made her way next door, searching for the spare key Minako had given her.

"Ami-chan?"

Ami yawned. "Good morning, mama. How was work?"

"Ami-chan, what are you doing out in the hall in your pajamas?"

The young Senshi of Water looked down at what she was wearing, and then up and down the fortunately deserted corridor that separated her apartment from Minako's. Then she looked down again. Blushing furiously, Ami disappeared back into her apartment. Suppressing a smile, Mizuno Saeko followed her daughter into their home.

- + - + -

Ami hurried through the door connecting the dojo to their secret headquarters in the Crown Karaoke. "Sorry I'm late, every... one?" Ami trailed off when she saw she was the second one there.

While putting out some dishes on the table, Aino Minako smiled at her studious friend. "Ami-chan, you live right across the hall. Mako-chan's going to have to come to our apartment. Usagi-chan, Naru-chan, and Rei-chan have to sneak in through the Crown. Did you think I expected you come right over in your pajamas?" Laughing at the girl's blush, Minako said, "Have a seat, Ami-chan. It'll take a while for the others to get here. And don't worry about breakfast. Ranma is making it for us."

- + - + -

"Good Morning, mama." Tsukino Usagi called as she hurried down the stairs.

"Usagi-chan? Oh my god!" Usagi found herself in the enthusiastic embrace of her mother. "What's wrong?"

"Mama?"

"Are you sick?" Tsukino Ikuko asked, placing her hand on her child's forehead.

"No mama..."

"It's a boy, isn't it?"

Usagi blushed. "No..."

"Oh, my little girl is growing up!"

"Mama, Minako-chan called and said she's got a problem." Usagi extracted herself from her mother's grasp, and put on her shoes and coat. "I really gotta go!"

"Usagi-chan, what about your lunch?"

"Minako-chan said that Takeda-san's going to make us breakfast and lunch!" She hurried out the door, calling out, "Bye bye!"

Tsukino Ikuko blinked as her daughter disappeared into the pre-dawn darkness. _'My little girl's not so little anymore.'_

Her other child hurried down the stairs. "Mama, why didn't you wake me up?" The boy asked in a panic.

"Shingo-chan?"

"I've gotta be really late if onee-chan is already up!"

- + - + -

Near Crown Karaoke, Osaka Naru glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Where is she?"

Hino Rei absently stretched as she looked down the street. "We don't _have_ to wait for Usagi-chan."

"Do _you _trust Usagi-chan to sneak in quietly?"

"No, but she's not a child. We shouldn't have to hold her hand..." Rei trailed off when her cell phone vibrated. "Hello? This is Hino Rei... right, we'll be right in." The miko turned to Naru. "I guess we didn't have to hold her hand after all. She's already inside." She walked to the Crown's front door, and waved her year-long pass in front of the lock. The door quietly opened. "Let's go."

- + - + -

Colonel Richard Anderson and his aide, Captain Amanda Tapping, watched as Air Force DC-8 taxied after landing on the air strip at Yokota Air Base, near Tokyo. "How the hell did the Air Force get chosen to deal with all this magic crap in the first place?"

"Well, sir, it started with Project Blue-Book, when the Air Force was judged the best to deal with UFOs..."

"That was a rhetorical question, captain."

The captain smiled. "Of course, sir."

"At least aliens turned out be nothing more a fairy tale."

"Sir, we're dealing with reincarnations of the Ancients, who had reached a level of magic and technology that far exceeds our own. They had a permanent colony on the _moon_, with an estimated population of over a million human beings. The Mars Polar Lander confirmed that they had gotten as far as Mars. Saotome has demonstrated that instantaneous transport is at least _possible_. There may be nothing in the laws of magic that prevents FTL travel in some form. It certainly isn't inconceivable, given the current state of stealth technology and magic, that aliens advanced enough to cross interstellar space could be visiting Earth undetected."

"And I suppose they posed as gods in the past, and abducted humans for slave labor..."

"I see you've been reading Shanks again. The man's theories are a bit crazy, sir."

"Entertaining, though."

"True."

As base personnel began unloading the transport, ten people disembarked and made their way towards the two officers. Eight were Air Force personnel. The other two were civilians. The first was an attractive black haired woman. The second was a tall, muscular man wearing robes and carrying a staff. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Japan. I know it was a very long flight, but we have a lot to do, and very little time to do it in. Mr. Saotome has informed me that they've located Kiima of the Phoenix, and is rather anxious to 'discuss' certain issues with her."

The huge black wizard, Christopher Judge, frowned. "I was under the impression that it was Ms. Takeda that was involved in this."

Col. Anderson nodded. "That's the name he's been going by for the last decade or so. There's been suspicions that Ranma Saotome was the Takeda twins for some time now. The Phoenix, Musk, and Amazons seeking him out at the same time confirmed it."

"Is it true that Saotome is a reincarnated Ancient?"

"I have no reason to doubt it. Besides knowing more than he should, he also has more power than anyone has a right to. His girls probably have as much power as he does, though they're untrained in its use." The colonel frowned. "And from what he's said, they're at a disadvantage compared to Beryl. Tell me the truth, Mr. Judge, do you think you could take out Saotome?"

"It would depend on whether he had the keys of Saffron's ascension," the mage said slowly, "And whether I could take him by surprise. Even then, it would be a nasty fight." He looked sideways at the Air Force officer. "A sniper's bullet would be far more effective..."

"That's not why I was asking. I don't know much about magic, but I do know what you're capable of. It says a lot about what we're up against, when someone you're wary of is wary of the enemy." He looked at the other civilian. "Ms. Black, how soon do you think you'll have that conference room ready?"

"With Chris' help, about eight hours. I could get it done sooner if you'd take off this damn ankle bracelet..."

"Ms. Black, we both know you can take that off if you want to. It's there to reassure the bureaucrats back home that you're abiding to the terms of your parole." He looked at the rest of his team. "While Ms. Black and Mr. Judge are preparing a room for a meeting between some... aggressive negotiators, I want the rest of you to familiarize yourselves with Tokyo, especially the Minato ward. Those of you who don't know Japanese should pair off with someone who does. We don't know _when_ this city is going to again be a battleground between the Ancients, but I want us ready to help the good guys."

- + - + -

"No offense, Minako-chan, but why isn't Ranma-san planning this?"

Minako looked at Rei over her bowl of rice. "Well, either he trusts is to do this right, or he wants us to get more experience. Probably both." She yawned. "Sorry. We just have to either contain her, or get her out in the open. Let's just hope she doesn't try anything during school. _That'll _be tricky. A lot of people could get hurt." She looked around the table. "Does everyone know what they're supposed to do?" Four of the girls nodded. Rei, who went to a different school, simply rolled her eyes. "I can't thank you all enough for helping us with this."

"It's what friends do for each other, Minako-chan," Usagi said quietly.

"Yeah, but it still means a lot to us." Minako looked at the clock. "If Rei-chan's going to make it to school on time, we'd better leave now. It'll look a little funny coming out of the Crown at this time of day, so we'll leave through our apartment."

As they made their way through the dojo that connected the Takeda/Aino apartment to the Senshi's HQ, Makoto asked, "Where is Saotome-san, anyways?"

"He was going to take Luna and Artemis over to the clinic so that they could make a link to the dojo, once he'd finished making lunch." She opened the door to their apartment. "Don't forget to..."

Usagi ran forward and grabbed the largest bento from the dining room table.

"... get your lunches. Is everyone comfortable with Ranma's friends knowing our identities?"

"No," Rei said, "But I'll go along with it if everyone else does." She paused. "It does make sense to have a qualified healer on call, though."

"Any other objections?" The rest of the girls shook their heads. "Okay then." She waited until they'd all gotten into the elevator before asking, "What about Tuxedo Mask?"

"You're the one who keeps saying I should stay away from him," Usagi said accusingly.

"Yeah, but Megumi-sempai thinks we'll be much more effective working together." Minako admitted with a frown. "And she got him to agree to stop searching for the Ginzuishou, which was my second biggest problem with him."

"What's the first?" Usagi asked.

"That's private, Usagi-chan." Minako said. "But if Megumi-sempai can overcome her problems with him, then so can I." She looked at Usagi. "I think I know what your answer is, Usagi-chan, but what about the rest of you?"

"I don't trust him," Rei said bluntly. Makoto shrugged, and Ami and Naru seemed ready to follow Usagi's lead on the issue.

"I know, Rei-chan, but I guess everyone else is going to give him a chance. If you're really uncomfortable about the whole thing, just stay transformed around him."

"No... I just want to go on record about this being a bad idea."

The elevator stopped at the entrance, and the girls filed out. They had just stepped onto the sidewalk when Makoto grabbed Minako's arm. "Oh my god, there's Kiima now," she said quietly.

"Okay, let's get her then. Plan 'C,' everyone."

"Right!" Minako, Makoto, and Rei separated from the others and began walking towards the woman approaching from the other direction." Behind them, Naru was typing in a quick text message into her cellphone.

"Um..."

"What's wrong, Ami-chan?" Usagi asked, as she worriedly watched her friends attacked the Phoenix Warrior.

"I don't think that's Kiima..."

- + - + -

Ranma faded into view in front of Ono Chiropractics and Acupuncture, a pair of stuffed toy cats in his arms. "Well, here we are." He rung the bell.

Ono Kasumi opened the door. "Oh, Good Morning, Ranma! And to you as well, Artemis-san. And who is this?"

"Kasumi, I'd like you to meet Luna. Luna, this is Ono Kasumi. They're here to hook up the clinic."

"Of course." Kasumi let them in with a frown. "Ranma, I supposed you teleported right over here, didn't you?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well... Akane was here earlier this morning. She felt really bad about losing her temper last night, so I gave her your address so she could go over an apologize. If I'd known you were going to show up first thing in the morning, I'd have kept her here."

"No problem, Kasumi, I'll just pop back over there." He looked at the royal advisers. "Call me when you're done here, and I'll pop you back home." He paused for a second. "Never mind, you'll have a direct connection, won't you? I'd better..." He paused when his cell phone started vibrating. "Just a sec..." He flipped open his phone, and paled at the message on screen. "Akane should've arrived right around now, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because we think that Kiima didn't get rid of her Akane-niichuan curse, and the girls just caught 'Kiima' sneaking around outside our apartment. I'd better get over there," he said as he faded out.

"Oh my!"

- + - + -

Author's Notes: The great thing about the Internet is the wealth of information available online. The worst thing about the Internet is the wealth of information available online. I learned a lot more than I needed for the story about the Air Force's cargo planes. ^_^; I also lost all my Google Earth placemarks when I moved to my new computer, and I'd had a lot of Minato and Nerima landmarks placed for reference. :(


	33. Chapter 33

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: "Fan Fic writers frequently see the need to begin their fiction with statements that look sort of like the page quote. It should be noted that these disclaimers are not only completely meaningless from a legal point of view but also generally redundant, especially if posted on a website like Fanfiction dot net, which already includes well-written legal disclaimers. It should also be noted some sites require the disclaimers on individual stories in addition to the site-wide disclaimers for some reason." - From the "I Do Not Own" page, TVTropes dot org.

Chapter 33 – Operation Tweety Bird – Baiting the Trap

Authors Notes: I do not know how in the world I got to Bad Astronomy dot Com. Most likely I was looking up something for this chapter, and then clicked a hyperlink, and another, and eventually got there. It's a great page describing the various errors of astronomy in movies, TV, and other media. It includes a great page debunking the claims of those who think the Moon landing was a hoax. Unfortunately, while I was devouring that site, I wasn't working on this chapter. So the only thing I can say is..."

- + - + -

"Gomen nasai," three rather disheveled teenagers said, bowing to the slightly mussed older woman, blushing.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Akane demanded. "I have half a mind to call your parents..."

"Um... Tendo-san?" A quiet voice asked. A girl dressed in the same uniform as two of the other girls, with glasses balanced on her nose. Two other girls from the same school were with her, but they hadn't participated in the fight.

"Yes?" Akane asked warily.

"They thought you were Kiima." She said, blushing under the scrutiny. She bowed. "Sorry I didn't speak up sooner."

Akane waved off her apology. "At least you did before someone got seriously hurt..." She started when she saw that there was a man nearby. "Ra..."

"Good morning, Tendo-san," Ranma said, cutting her off. "I'm Takeda Kappei. Sorry I didn't get here sooner, but I came back as soon as your sister told me you were on your way here. If you don't mind waiting a bit, I'll take you to your friend." He looked at the three tidy schoolgirls of the group. "Tsukino-san, Mizuno-san, Osaka-san, you'd better get to school. Don't worry about your friends. I'll give them a lift after they've had a chance to freshen up."

Shaking his head, he lead the four females into the apartment building. Once back on the elevator, and on their way up, he said, "I'm forgetting my manners. Ladies, this is my former fiancee, Tendo Akane. Akane, this is Hino Rei, Kino Makoto, and my fiancee Aino Minako." Ranma reached out and caressed the top of her left cheek with his thumb. "You're going to develop a shiner there, Minako-chan. I'll take you to Dr. Ono after school, and get that fixed up." He looked from them to Akane. "Sorry about the abrupt greeting, Akane, but I've been drilling operational security into their heads for a while now."

After the elevator doors opened on the top floor, he led them to his and Minako's apartment. Just as he closed the door, there was a flash of light behind him. "Minako-chan!" Rei said angrily.

Ranma turned around, and saw Sailor V plop down on their sofa. "Oh, please. We agreed that we'd let Ranma's friends in on the secret, and I see no reason to keep hurting when five minutes transformed would let me get healed up."

Akane stared. "You're Sailor V?" Behind her, Makoto and Rei shared a look. With a shrug, a transformation phrase, and a flash of light, two more defenders of Love and Justice joined the first. "You're Senshi as well?"

"I'm Sailor Mars."

"And I'm Sailor Jupiter."

Akane smiled. "So which Sailor Senshi are you, Ranma," Akane asked teasingly.

"Sailor Saturn."

The Tendo matriarch blinked. "I was kidding, Ranma."

"So am I. I'm not a Sailor Senshi. But between my martial arts and my magic, I can fake one pretty well." Ranma sat down on the couch and put an arm around Sailor V, much to the girl's delight. "The Sailor Senshi were from the Moon Kingdom in the past life. I was the captain of the Royal Guard of the Earth Kingdom." He saw the look she was giving him. "It's a _very _long story, and one we unfortunately don't have time for. We've not only got several irons in the fire, but we're juggling them as well." He looked at Sailor V. "Speaking of which, why on Earth did you think Akane was Kiima?"

The girl looked offended. "Akane-niichuan?"

"I can think of three things that should've tipped you off that she wasn't Kiima." He looked at the clock. "And if you're going to put yourselves together in time for school, you'd better start now."

Rei untransformed. "I'll go first. I'm class representative, so I should get there a little early." She looked down at herself. She was back to her usual immaculate self. "I didn't know that the transformation would do this!"

Sailor V smiled. "I keep forgetting you all have only been at this for two months." She returned to normal herself. A few seconds later, Kino Makoto was once again standing in the living room as well.

Ranma offered the miko his hand. "Ready to go, Rei-san?"

"Hai." She hesitated a second. "I know it's silly, after watching you and Minako pop back and forth, but I'm a little nervous."

"It's a piece of cake. Roof okay?"

"Hai." She placed her hand in Ranma's. The two faded out, much to Akane's surprise. A second later, they faded back in again.

"Roof's no good, Rei-san. There's some student's up there," Ranma said with a smile.

"I noticed," Rei said, blushing heavily. "There's a side chapel that's usually unoccupied at this time of day..."

"I've never been inside, so that's no good. There's an alley nearby. Let's go." The two faded out again. Ranma returned alone a few seconds later. "Are you two ready?"

Minako looked at the clock. "We've got some time still. I've been thinking, and I still can't see how I should've known that Tendo-san wasn't Kiima."

Ranma reached out and tugged lightly on Minako's hair. "First clue should've been her hair. I explained Jusenkyou's history to you. Kiima in her cursed form wouldn't have long hair."

Minako smirked. "I've seen you alter not only hair length, but color and style as well. I wasn't about to assume she didn't have similar skills."

Ranma blinked. "That's a good point. Well, another clue is that it's been over ten years since Kiima drowned Akane at Jusenkyou. She's not a teen anymore." Seeing Akane's expression, he added. "She's a rather delicious looking Christmas cake." The woman rolled her eyes as the two teens giggled.

"Sensei," Makoto said between giggles. "No offense, but you could both pass for high school if you wanted." Seeing the looks both adults were giving her, she added, "When 'Tomoe-sensei' showed up right after I found out I was Sailor Jupiter, I wasn't thinking adult. I was thinking, 'Sempai.'" She rolled her eyes. "After that group date Usagi-chan dragged you into, I had to remind her that you're ten years older than us."

"Fourteen," Ranma corrected automatically. He sighed. "Now the third reason seems rather silly." He looked sideways at Akane. "Should I get some hot water?"

Akane laughed. "If it makes you feel better..."

- + - + -

Five seconds later, Ranma found himself thrown through the window of his apartment, thirty stories above the pavement...

Author's notes: Really short chapter today. Ranma wasn't the only one surprised by Kiima. ^_^


	34. Chapter 34

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: Some days I could really shoot whoever decided to have NaNoWriMo in November. This month sucks when you work retail.

Chapter Thirty-Four – Operation Tweety Bird: Springing the Trap

Aino Minako had seen a lot of bizarre things in the ten months since Artemis had contacted her. She had seen what martial artists like Mousse and Shampoo were capable of, even without the connection to the past life like she and Ranma had. It really shouldn't have surprised her when Akane stood up and shoved her hand at her fiance's back. The sphere of violet energy that emerged, slamming into the man's back, and throwing him through the windows of their apartment, shouldn't have surprised her either. That the sphere had enough energy to toss him over their balcony, and towards the ground far below, also shouldn't have been a surprise.

"Jupiter Po- umph!"

It was, though, and the seconds it took for her to regain her wits was all it took for the woman to send a second sphere into Kino Makoto, blasting the girl through the closed door to Ranma's bedroom. The woman pivoted on her right foot, her left foot colliding with Minako's throat. The young brunette collapsed to her knees, grasping her neck as she gasped for breath.

A winged woman swooped in through the ruined view of Prince Asakusa Park. "Well done, Akane-chan." The white-haired woman scowled at Minako. "I don't know how he did it, but Ranma disappeared in mid air. Be on your guard."

"Hai, Kiima-sama."

A flicker of bluish-white light came from the doorway to Ranma's bedroom. "Supreme Thunder!" Tendrals of lightning lashed out, lifting Kiima off her feet and into the opposite wall, sending a few pictures Minako had liked to the floor. Sailor Jupiter followed closely behind her magical attack, throwing a right hook at the Phoenix Warrior's face. A swipe of one of Kiima's wings sent the Senshi sprawling.

Minako whispered, "Venus Powe-" Akane's hand around her throat choked off the rest of what she'd said.

"I'm sorry, Minako-chan, but I can't have you doing that." Akane looked over her shoulder. "I've got her, Kiima-sama!"

"Good." Kiima's wings swept forwards, sending a blizzard of razor sharp feathers at Sailor Jupiter. The girl's arms covered her face as the feathers sliced into her exposed arms and legs, even managing to draw blood through her leotard. "Get her out of here, before Saotome returns. You know where to take her."

"Hai, Kiima-sama!" She turned, and almost ran straight into Ranma. Her former fiance dropped the woman with a single punch. Kiima snapped her wings at him, sending a second flury of feathers at the two of them. Ranma managed to shield Minako from the worst of it, but she still received several nasty cuts. Kiima evaded Jupiter's second Supreme Thunder simply by jumping off their balcony. The tall Senshi raced to the balcony and fired a third magical attack and the woman who was rapidly flying away.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," Minako whispered horsely. "Go." With a faint pop, Ranma vanished. "Venus power, Make up." She sighed when the pain of her wounds lessened slightly.

Sailor Jupiter limped over, her arms wrapped around her torso, her eyes running over Sailor Venus' body. "What in the... nevermind. I don't think you should be talking, not with the way you're holding your neck like that."

The pair started at a knock on the door.

"Should I answer it?" Jupiter asked. Seeing her friend nod, she painfully made her way over and opened the door. "Yes?"

- + - + -

Whatever Mizuno Saeko was going to say to her neighbors died unsaid. The damage to the apartment barely registered when she saw the strangely dressed young girl's bloody arms and legs, and the numerous lacerations on her body. The way the girl gingerly hugged her herself set off several alarm bells. "Oh, my god..."

"I'll be fine," the girl interrupted. "My friend's the one who's really hurt."

A second girl, dressed similar to the first one, lay on the bloody floor. She didn't have nearly as many cuts on her legs, but the ones she did have were longer and deeper. Even more alarming to her trained eye was the way the girl held her throat even as she gasped for breath. "Easy now, I'm a doctor. Let me look take a look." Saeko gently removed the girl's hand from her neck, and winced at the bruising. "Okay, I'm calling an ambulance for you both..." She trailed off when she saw another injured person.

"What happened here?" She asked as she knelt beside the third woman, who was unconscious, much to Saeko's alarm. She thumbed her hospital's speed dial, even as she examined the woman. "This is Dr. Mizuno Saeko. I'm going to need two ambulances at my apartment complex. I've got three people injured in apartment 3002. One woman, approximate age early twenties, unconscious from a blow to the head. One woman, approximate age 17, multiple minor lacerations to the arms and legs, probable broken ribs," she looked at Sailor Jupiter again, "and either a dislocated or broken hip. One woman, approximate age 17, three moderate to severe lacerations to the legs, probable partially crushed larynx, but still able to breath."

She pressed the END button, pulled on latex gloves that she got from her pocket, and once again knelt by the blonde girl on the floor. "Okay, we need to stop this bleeding, so I need you to put pressure here." She shifted the girls' hands to the right spot. "Good. Now you," she gestured to the taller girl, "Put pressure right there. And I'll take this cut here." She looked at Sailor Jupiter, and asked, "Now, would you please tell me what happened?"

The two girls shared a look. The shorter blonde made a fist with her pink and thumb extended, and held it to her head like a phone, and then saluted. The taller brunette blushed and with an odd gesture, produced a pink cell phone. She pressed a button and, after a brief delay, said, "This is an Alpha-Seven priority message for Colonel Anderson. 'Sylvester is chasing Tweety Bird.' That's right, 'Sylvester is chasing Tweety Bird.'" She looked at the blonde again. "Should I call the others?" The other girl shook her head.

During this exchange, Saeko just stared at the cell phone in the girl's hand. It was identical to her baby girl's new cell phone.

- + - + -

Ranma appeared high above their apartment complex, triggering a preset of sequence of events that not only left her face damp and female, but clad in a special jumpsuit that had large nylon panels between her arms and body, and between her legs. Her rate of descent slowed as she began gliding forward towards the leaf-bare park she had last seen Kiima over. It didn't take her long to spot Kiima's huge, white wings against the brown grass and bare trees below.

"Okay, Kiima," Ranma growled. "_This_ is your wakeup call." She tucked her arms to her side and dove, vanishing with a pop of inrushing air, after falling 150 meters.

- + - + -

Kiima frowned as she flew away from Saotome's apartment, ignoring the pathetic humans pointing at her from below. _'Damn it! I had waited ten years, TEN YEARS, for Saotome return for his little Akane. Even after she'd gotten married, I figured he'd return for her. But he didn't. I wasted a perfectly good impression egg on the girl, and he never showed up! And of course when we finally gained a lead on him, we followed the wrong one._

_'And those girls! My puppet should've been able to kill both, but that one girl had way too much power for someone that inexperienced, and I think Saotome's little tramp has a similar power.'_ Kiima's eyes narrowed. _'Sparky was dressed similarly to that woman who disrupted our attempt to abduct the girl. Now that he knows Akane is compromised - '_

Something heavy slammed into her back, fouling her wing and sending her spiraling toward the ground below. "Kiima! Fancy meeting you here!" The voice of Ranma's female form said. "If you don't want to do this the hardway, land and wait for me below."

_'Like hell!' _Kiima recovered from her tumble enough to twist around and send another blizzard of razor sharp feathers at the woman. _'Where the hell did she go?'_ She recovered completely only thirty meters above the street, and quickly worked to regain some altitude. _'I don't see her splattered all over the ground either-'_

Kiima screamed when several arcs of light sliced into her. Somehow, Saotome had managed to get above her again, and was sending a deadly storm of his own at her, even as he fell from the sky. She nimbly evaded the second barrage, and was about to retaliate at the rapidly falling human when he vanished. _'How did he-'_ For the second time, a heavy and fast body struck her from behind. She shreiked when she felt a bone in her right wing shatter, and she was sent crashing into the ground...

- + - + -

A final skip allowed Ranma to avoid crashing painfully into the ground like Kiima. She circled above the fallen Phoenix warrior, looking for signs that she was still a threat.Seeing no movement below brought a grim smile of satisfaction to her face, at least until she realized that she wasn't quite sure how she was going to land. She was tempted to simply teleport away and embarrass herself in private when she saw the crowd of video recorders, cameras, and cell phones below. _'And if I teleport away, Kiima might recover enough to escape.' _She continued to circle. _'I've got about thirty seconds to figure this out...'_

At two meters above the ground, she turned her body upright, the panels of the suit absorbing most of her forward momentum. Leg muscles and ki absorbed most of her downward momentum, allowing her to make a successful, but rather heavy, four-point landing right beside the white-haired bird woman.

As she began to unsnap the panels between the legs of her jumpsuit, the crowd around her began to applaud. Once she was sure she'd be able to walk rather than waddle, she smiled and bowed to the crowd, before turning her attention to her fallen foe.

The woman was alive, and, judging by the groans, she was starting to regain consciousness. Ignoring the questions from the crowd, she knelt down to lay a hand on Kiima's shoulder, and the two of them faded out of sight.

- + - + -

In an empty room on a restricted floor of a building lying a discreet distance from the Diet building, Colonel Richard Anderson waited with four burly MPs and two medics for a troubling conundrum to grace them with his/her presence. If everything went as planned, he'd have a very dangerous, quite likely angry, and probably injured para-human on his hands. And, of course, there would be her prisoner Kiima to consider as well.

He didn't have to wait long. Two figures, one kneeling, the other prone, faded into the middle of the room. The colonel took stock of the crumpled, bleeding, and bruised figure on the floor. As the medics moved forward to deal with the fallen Phoenix, Anderson said, "I take it she didn't want to come quietly." The woman shook her head as she stood up. "Are you alright? I don't think the red spots on that wingsuit are part of the original pattern."

"I'll be fine. The bleeding's already stopped." She looked at the colonel in the eyes as Kiima was wheeled away, the four MPs trailing after the gourney. "I'm afriad I have to go. I left a bad situation back home."

"I understand. I'm told that your 'situation back home' is currently all over the morning news. I think it's safe to say you forfeited your security deposit." Seeing the woman's expression, the colonel grinned. "I would like a quick word, however."

"Okay, but make it very quick."

"Do you think we can drop the charade, at least when you're here?"

"I'd love to, Colonel, but as I've told the girls, it's easier for bad habits to form than good ones. I'm not sure if it's doing any good, but I'd prefer to have Beryl as confused as possible."

"I understand."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me?" The auburn haired woman faded from sight.

"At least she didn't deny it..." There was knock on the door. "Come."

Captain Tapping walked into the room. "I saw our new guest, Colonel. Saotome did a real number on her."

"With good cause. We don't have any information yet, but Kiima somehow attacked his apartment. We picked up a call by Saotome's neighbor asking for ambulances. Three people got hurt, two severely. If one of those was the Aino girl, I'd say I'm amazed at her self restraint." He looked at his blonde aide. "Oh, and while he didn't deny it, he did have a good point about the value of providing the enemy with false intelligence. I want everyone referring to her as Takeda from now on. Including me." He grinned mischeviously. "Feel free to correct when I forget."

"Of course, sir."

- + - + -

Ranma faded back into existance, completely unsurprised by the police tape across her door. She just hoped that the glamour hiding the door to the dojo was still working. She was surprised that Ami's mother, Mizuno Saeko, was waiting in the hall. "Takeda-san? It's nice to meet you at last. I'm ami-chan's mother, Mizuno Saeko... you're hurt!"

"I'm fine. I need to call the police, and make sure they understand that Tendo Akane wasn't acting of her own free will."

"What is it with you people? The brunette kept insisting that she was fine as well, and the only reason the blonde wasn't was because she couldn't even talk!" Mizuno Saeko looked at the woman, concerned. "Takeda-san?" She caught the woman when she collapsed.

Sakeo quickly retrieved her cell phone. "Hello? Have you guys left yet? Good, because I've got yet another stubborn fool for you."

Author's notes: This time around, I decided not to sacrifice either sleep or exercise in order to maintain the pace necessary for National Novel Writer's Month. It's about a third of the way through challenge so far, and I'm at about 16,000 words. Which means that I'm almost keeping up, which is a lot better than I thought I was doing. Of course, I've actually written more than that. Sometimes a better idea comes up, such as Kiima informing me that she's not an idiot, so scenes will get rewritten or dropped entirely. Thankfully, the short chapters and the desire to keep up the pace helps suppress the urge to get things "perfect."

I'd also like to thank the folks at fukufics dot com for giving these chapters the once over.


	35. Chapter 35

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: Kyon-kun... denwa.

Chapter 35 – Aftermath

Mizuno Saeko had had difficult patients before. Some people simply did not know what was best for them. But three of her four patients at the moment had taken stubbornness to a new height. Every single one of them insisted that they were "fine." _'Except for the girl with the crushed throat, that is. She still can't talk, but she can mouth, "I'm fine." The taller of the younger girls could have internal injuries, but we can't take X-Rays through that outfit of hers, and she refuses to take it off. The other one has lost a lot of blood, but we can't insert a needle for a transfusion, nor can we stitch up her lacerations. At least the butterflies are keeping the wounds closed._

_'And then there's the "adult" of the trio,'_ Saeko thought as she opened the door.

"I don't suppose you're here to let me out and see the girls, are you, Doctor Mizuno?" Takeda Megumi asked once again as the doctor entered her hospital room. The woman was busy consuming the breakfast she had wheedled out of a nurse. "I'm perfectly fine."

"'Perfectly fine' people don't pass out, Takeda-san."

"I didn't pass out. I fell asleep. I had a very busy morning, so I needed a nap. I also need to replace all the calories I burned." The auburn haired woman glared at the doctor as she approached her bed. "Has Doctor Ono shown up yet?"

"It's only been an hour, Take-"

A handsome man in glasses walked into the room. "Sorry I took so long, Takeda-san." He bowed to Dr. Mizuno. "You must be Mizuno-sensei. I'm Ono Toufuu, Takeda-san's and Tendo-san's doctor."

Saeko blinked. "Small world."

"Not really. It's estimated that only one in a thousand have 'the gift,' and traditional healing techniques often work better on us than modern medicine does. Do you mind?"

"Not at all."

The female doctor watched as the other doctor gave her stubborn patient a very brief examination, doing things to her body that made absolutely no sense. "I see you've been overdoing things again, Megumi-san."

The younger woman frowned. "Is it bad, Doc?"

"Not as bad as last time, but I definitely think you should lay off teleporting the rest of the week. Just make sure you get plenty to eat, and take a nap if you feel tired."

"Roof-hopping okay?"

"That should be fine." The younger doctor grinned impishly. "You know, I haven't roof-hopped in almost forty years. I'd forgotten how much fun it is."

"Forty years?" Mizuno Saeko asked in surprise.

"Since I entered college, actually. My sempai said that while it may be faster, it's better to travel by regular means, especially if I wanted to be a neighborhood doctor. It's a lot easier to get to know the people you'll be treating."

"How's Akane-san doing?"

"I haven't seen her yet, and I figured I'd wait for Kasumi and Ken-san to catch up. Speaking of which..." Saeko blinked when he produced a picnic basket. "Kasumi thought you'd be hungry."

Saeko stared at the basket in the man's hand. _'Where'd he keep that?'_

Takeda Megumi smiled brightly as she got out of bed. "Lucky! I always love Kasumi-san's meals, and it's been ages since I got to enjoy one." She opened the basket and looked in. "Hey, there's enough for the girls as well." She looked at the two doctors. "Shall we go check on the girls, doctors? And make sure that _they're_ getting something to eat?"

- + - + -

Ranma walked alongside the man she'd long considered a second father to her, carrying her big sister's picnic basket. Trailing behind them was the mother of Mizuno Ami, who was looking more than a bit shell shocked. _'Not that I don't blame her. It's not every day that an outright supernatural battle breaks out at your next door neighbor's, and then you find yourself completely over your head, trying to care for a bunch of magical girls.'_ Ranma glanced over her shoulder. "I really am sorry about having to meet this way, Mizuno-sensei. I kept on meaning to ask Ami-chan to introduce us, but..." Ranma shrugged helplessly.

"You know my daughter well?"

"We met soon after Minako-chan moved in with me, and the two of them became friends pretty quickly." Ranma frowned. "I'm so glad Minako-chan took my advice and scaled back her career. The pace is grueling enough for an adult." She glanced apologetically at Toufuu. "Sometimes too grueling."

The trio arrived at the Sailors' hospital room. Ranma entered first, followed by Drs. Ono and Mizuno. "Sorry I couldn't make it earlier, ladies, but Mizuno-sensei threatened to have two orderlies sit on me if I tried to get out of bed." Jupiter giggled, while Venus' smile turned into a grimace, and her hand once again reached protectively to her throat. "Ladies, this is Ono-sensei, who's been my doctor for years." She looked at Toufuu. "You'd better take a look at Sailor Venus first, Doc. She can't heal properly if we don't get food into her."

"Of course. With your permission, my dear?" Toufuu asked Venus, who nodded gingerly. He began gently examining her throat. After a few seconds, he looked over at Ranma. "This could've been fatal. _Akane_ did this?"

She nodded. "She wasn't in her right mind, though. Kiima used one of those impression eggs on her." Ranma frowned. "Those things take 48 hours to hatch, if I remember correctly. I _really_ underestimated that bitch. She must've been planning for this day for a long time."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. You've got enough on your plate as it is." He looked at Venus. "Can you take off your glove, my dear?" She stripped off her right elbow-length glove. He poked, prodded, and manipulated her hand and arm for a minute, nodded to himself. "Her transformation seems to be compensating for the blood loss, but while it seems to have replaced the volume lost, it hasn't replaced the red blood cells." He looked over at Sailor Jupiter. "I understand you lost quite a bit of blood yourself."

"Not nearly as much as V-chan, Doctor."

"Well, I think it would be best if we get some liver into you both, so that your magic has the raw materials to fully replace the blood you lost." Seeing the girl's faces, he smiled. "Alright, steaks then." He frowned at Sailor Venus. "But first, I need to make sure you can actually swallow what you eat. Can you scoot forward a little? Never mind, the bed's automatic." The back of her bed dropped away from her back. "Okay, let's see if we can get your ki pathways to prioritize your throat..." He pressed several points on her body, his frown returning. "Damn. Your transformation isn't giving me the control I need. I know it won't be pleasant, but in the long run, it'll greatly speed your recovery if you drop your transformation."

Sailor Venus and Jupiter shared a look. "If you're thinking of refusing for my daughter's sake," Mizuno Saeko said casually, "Don't bother. I'm going to have a long talk with the girl when she gets home from school."

Jupiter shrugged. A few seconds later, there was a flash of light, and Aino Minako replaced Sailor Venus on the bed. The girl's eyes bugged out, her complexion paled, and her hands darted to her throat as she began gasping for breath.

Toufuu's hand danced across the girl's body. "Easy now, you don't have adrenalin in your system anymore. Just a little bit longer... okay, you can transform back." After several seconds of watching the girl try to speak, his finger shot out, pressing a point just below her sternum.

Minako croaked out, "Venus power... make up." In a flash, a visibly relieved Sailor Venus sunk back to the bed.

Dr. Ono examined the girl for a few more minutes. "Good, it doesn't look like the transformation is trying to 'fix' things." He looked over at Dr. Mizuno. "I'd feel better if she recovered at my clinic. We're better prepared to take care of things there." His gaze turned to Jupiter.

"I'm not going to have to transform back too, am I?" Sailor Jupiter asked in a small voice.

"That depends upon your injuries." He examined the girl's torso for a few minutes, his eyes widening. "Akane did _this_ too?"

"Hai," Jupiter said. "She hit me with that energy blast of hers right after she'd blasted Megumi-sensei."

"I didn't think she was even capable of generating a ki blast. She hasn't trained seriously in... years." Toufuu looked at Ranma. "Kiima?"

"Probably."

"Were you even transformed?"

"No." Jupiter frowned. "One minute we were talking. The next, blam!"

"I can't believe Akane would deliberately go for lethal strikes..."

"What part of 'not in her right mind' don't you understand, Doc? Those impression eggs create complete and utter loyalty and devotion towards the first person the 'hatchling' sees. If Kiima ordered it, she'd probably slit her own throat." Ranma glanced over at Dr. Mizuno. "That's why I recommended that Akane-san be restrained as soon as I woke up. We don't know what orders Kiima gave her." She turned back to Toufuu. "So, what's the verdict?"

Ono Toufuu looked at the anxious girl. "There's no need for you to change back, my dear. In fact, it would be best if you didn't. I'm afraid you'll both be missing several days of school." Toufuu smiled at the stunned look on his colleague's face. "Their healing rate is remarkable. I've never seen anything like it. I'd like to look at my sister-in-law now."

"Of course. This way."

Ranma put the basket on the side table between the two girls. "I'll be right back. You girls get some food in your systems. Venus, I think I saw something nice and cold in there that you'd be able to swallow." Ranma hurried after the other two.

- + - + -

Tendo Akane's room was easily identifiable, thanks to the two guards flanking her door, courtesy of Col. Anderson of the American Air Force. They weren't the only ones waiting outside her room.

"You bastard!"

Ranma wasn't surprised in the least when Tendo Ken, Akane's husband, took a swing at her. In fact, she had dropped all her normal defenses. She did turn her head with the blow to minimalize the impact, though.

"You haven't been back in her life a day yet, and look at what happened!" The man grabbed his wrist. "And OW!"

Ranma bowed apologetically. "Tendo-san, the reason I left in the first place was to protect her and her family from my enemies." Ranma added helpfully, "And the proper way to throw a punch is like this." She demonstrated. "You want to keep your wrist straight. That way, the shock is absorbed by your forearm bones, rather than the tendons in your wrist." She turned to the guards, and said in English. "We'd like to see Tendo-san, gentlemen."

"Of course, Ma'am." One of the guards opened the door for them. Inside, a female guard tensed up, before she saw Ranma and visibly relaxed.

Ranma looked at her ex-fiancee. Akane was awake, and smiled as they entered the room. Shackles, enchanted to absorb the woman's ki, circled both her wrists and ankles, their ends fixed firmly to the bed's frame.

"Hi, Takeda-sama," Akane said pleasantly. "Are you okay?"

Ranma smiled despite herself. "I am, tomboy. But you almost killed the girls."

Akane looked down, chewing on her lower lip. "I'm sorry about that, Takeda-sama. But Kiima-sama was quite insistent that I put down any potential resistance once I got into your apartment."

"I see. That was quite the ki-blast you had there, Akane."

"I know! Kiima-sama's been training me for years now." Akane got a bit starry eyed, before she looked down at her wrists in irritation. "I never realized how sturdy these hospital beds are. I've been trying and trying, and I simply can't pull these out."

Toufuu looked worriedly at the woman in bed. "What would you do if you could pull those out, Akane-san?"

"Why escape of course! Kiima-sama was quite specific about that too."

"And where would you escape to?"

"I'm sorry, Takeda-sama, but I can't tell you that."

Ranma caught the eye of the two doctors. "We'll give you some time alone with your family, Akane."

"You're my family too, Takeda-sama. I've barely gotten two hours with you since you returned."

"Thank you, Akane. But I gotta check on my girls."

"Of course, how silly of me. Tell them I said hi, and I'm glad I didn't kill them, even though they are enemies of Kiima-sama."

"Of course."

- + - + -

Outside the hospital room, two doctors and a devil hunter exchanged glances.

Saeko found her voice first. "That was just..."

"Yeah," Ranma agreed. "Doubly so, when you consider Kiima practically killed her..."

"What I want to know is how we break Kiima's hold over her," Toufuu said.

Ranma scratched the back of her head. "The only way I know is to put her in another impression egg, and make sure the first thing she sees is a mirror." Ranma frowned. "And there's no way I'd even consider turning over the keys to Saffron's ascension unless she tells me where to get one." Ranma glanced at the clock over the nearby nurses' station. "Well, doctors, I'm going to check in on the girls, get some more food in my belly, then I'll have to hail a taxi so I can get to a rehearsal I'm late to." Ranma bowed. "It was nice to meet you, neighbor, despite the circumstances. Sorry about being such a cranky patient. Doc, thank you for taking care of the girls."

"My pleasure, Megumi-san."

"Later!"

- + - + -

Author's notes: Sorry about the inadvertent delay. My turn finally came up to check out "World War Z" from my local library on Friday. (Just one copy among the eight libraries in my county? Argh!!!) Needless to say, it was the kind of book you simply can't put down until you finish it. Now I'm tempted to do a Ranma ½/Sailor Moon/Zombie Apocalypse story. Curse you, muse, for being so easily distracted!!!


	36. Chapter 36

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer #1: Kyon-kun... denwa.

Disclaimer #2: For some reason, my spell checker in open office quit working, so you folks at fukufics dot com get to see what my spelling is like when it's not augmented by technology. My thanks in advance for any errors you all catch. If anyone has suggestion to get it working again (and yes, I have the option on) I'd greatly appreciate it.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Rehearsal

Ranma flipped her mane of auburn hair out of the way as she placed her cell phone to her ear, as she watched the streets go by in her taxi. "Col. Anderson?" She asked in English. "It's Takeda Megumi... Thanks, I've been getting a lot of practice with my English lately... My doctor's grounded me, so I'm afraid I'll have to reschedule tonight's meeting..." Ranma looked at her vibrating right foot. "Believe me, I am well aware of how much time I saved, verses 'humping it like you mortals...' That won't be necessary. I'm stuck in traffic, so I've got plenty of time to call Prince Herb and Shampoo. How's Kiima doing?... I guess it's for the best. No matter how tempting it is, we shouldn't negotiate with Kiima when she's doped to the gills."

By the time her phone calls were complete, including checking in with her girls, the taxi had stopped in an unremarkable section of Roppongi, well off the main streets. She was not surprised at all to see that there was a small crowd standing respectfully away from a flight of stairs leading down. Despite still being in a killing mood, Ranma put on a pleasant smile, paid the taxi driver, stepped out, and waited for the squeeing to begin before she waved to the crowd.

"Takeda-sama!"

"Megumi-chan!"

"I can't believe she's here!"

"I'm sorry, but could I trouble you for your autograph?"

Ranma stepped up to the crowd, "Good morning ladies, and gentleman. How are you all?"

It took about ten minutes of pictures, autographs, handshakes, and pleasantries before she politely excused herself and walked down the stairs, and entered the Cosplay Cafe. The pub didn't have any sign on the street advertising it. It didn't advertise in the papers or magazines, and it didn't even list its address and phone number in the phone book. What attracted full capacity crowds each night was live entertainment and cute waitresses, all dressed in outfits from popular anime programs. Rumor had it that the pub was in the basement because the other five floors of the building were filled with costumes. Ranma knew the rumor to be false: the ground floor held the apartment for the owner's family, the pub's storage areas, offices, workshops for the tailors and seamstresses who made the costumes, and a store that opened onto a busier street in Roppongi for people who were willing to pay top yen for high quality costumes.

A brown haired woman in her late thirties was taking inventory behind the window that separated the entrance from the entrance. "Takeda-san! I didn't think you'd be coming in today, given what I saw on the news."

"Takayama-san! I'm surprised to see you here. Shouldn't you be at the bar, watering down the drinks?"

Takayama Minami, who really reminded Ranma of Tendo Nabiki, laughed wickedly. "'Gumi-chan," she said haughtily. "I'll have you know that I don't water down the drinks, even for your concerts." Her expression turned impish. "Instead, I buy the really cheap stuff, and charge 2000 yen a glass."

After the two shared a laugh, she took Ranma's hands. "'Gumi-chan, I can't thank you enough..."

Ranma waved off her thanks. "And I wouldn't have a career if you hadn't introduced me to the right people. Plus _I_ can't thank you enough, or your band, for putting this together on such short notice."

"Are you kidding? The fact that you frequent my little establishment is the only thing that brings in half my customers." She sighed. "And the other half are male otaku who are here for the cute girls in short skirts." She shook her head. "It's a real shame that most of your fans are lesbians. I see way too many guys with too little self-esteem get shot down here." The older woman turned more serious. "The news said that your apartment took some damage? Is your little fiancee alright?

Ranma sighed. "She and one of her friends got hurt, but the doctor thinks they'll be out by Friday at the latest. I asked her if she wanted me to stay, but she kept throwing wadded up paper at me." Seeing her questioning look, Ranma added. "She got hit in the throat. She can't talk, and she can barely breathe right now."

Minami winced. "And she's a singer... if that doesn't heal right, it could ruin her career before it even begins."

"She's in good hands, 'Nami-chan. Could I get some hot water?"

"Why? Your 'brother' can't carry a tune in a bucket, 'Gumi-chan."

"I've got my reasons."

- + - + -

A few minutes later, a male Ranma silently walked up behind the tall, blond foreigner who was the lead male English singer in the band of ten musicians. "Sorry I'm late, everyone." Ranma said in a falsetto.

The blond turned around, a somewhat lecherous smile on his face. "Megumi! Babe... oh, it's you." He finished in disappointment. "Will you stop doing that? It's creepy. Go... do whatever it is you do to summon your hot sister."

The Chinese-American lead female English singer shook her head at her husband's antics. "They're the same person, you lech."

"Allison! If she looks like a babe, walks like a babe, feels like a babe, and she's got the plumbing of a babe, then she ain't no man."

Ranma shook his head before summoning a mist of water in his face, and turned female again.

"Okay, everyone," Takayama Minami said as she climbed onto the stage. "Since our star attraction didn't let a little thing like a monster attack keep her away, I'd like to see if we can finally get the choreography of the opening number down, finally." There were several groans from the assembled group. "That's enough of that. Vic?" She asked, looking at the tall blond, "Do you think you can keep on rhythm this time? And don't forget, _your_ character should look like he's at least _pretending_ to have fun..."

- + - + -

_"It's a partial transformation," _Sailor Jupiter, also known as Kino Makoto, read. _"I get the full physical abilities, but not the full range of magical attacks. Not to mention that the 'Sailor-V' fuku doesn't protect nearly as well as the one I'm wearing, nor does it accelerate my healing abilities as much as the full transformation does."_

"But why didn't you tell us about it?"

Sailor Venus, also known as Aino Minako, thought a second before writing, _"Sorry. We got so used to keeping secrets, that it's become a bad habit. I mean, we need to keep secrets, but not from each other." _Venus looked at the clock. _"It's almost lunch. I'm afraid you'll have to do the talking."_ The girl removed the page from the pad she was writing on, folded it into a paper airplane, and sent it flying to the girl in the other bed.

Jupiter rolled her eyes and summoned her cell phone. She waited until after classes should have finished before setting the phone to conference mode. On the other bed, Venus repeated her actions.

Usagi's cheerful voice came over the phone. _"Hi, Mako-chan! What's wrong, you can't make it to lunch today?" _She paused._ "Minako-chan? You can't make it either?"_

"We can't talk freely right now, Sailor Moon," Jupiter said carefully. "We're at Juuban General Hospital right now. It turned out that Kiima had brainwashed Tendo-san. She waited until Takeda-sensei took Sailor Mars to her school, and sensei was distracted, before she took us all out. We weren't transformed at the time, so we were hurt pretty badly, but Doctor Ono said that if we keep our transformations up, we'll be fully healed in a couple of days."

_"We'll be right over!"_

"No, Sailor Moon. We'll be fine for a few hours. You finish class, get our assignments, and _then_ come over. Oh, and Sailor Mercury? I think you should inform a mutual friend of ours that her mother has certain suspicions, and want to have a very long conversation about her after-school activities in the near future." Sailor Jupiter hung up, followed by Sailor Venus.

- + - + -

At Juuban Junior High, Tsukino Usagi also closed her cell phone, looked over at the extremely pale Mizuno Ami, and asked, "Ami-chan? Are you alright?"

- + - + -

"What I'd like to know is if these techniques of yours are so effective," Mizuno Saeko said to her college Ono Toufuu over their lunch in the hospital cafeteria, "Why aren't they a part of the general practice?"

"There's several reasons. First and foremost, for maximum effect, both the patient and the healer have to have 'the gift.' The healer needs 'the gift' to properly read the ki pathways, and a patient with 'the gift' simply has a lot more resources to work with. That pretty much kills any possibility for a double blind study. Second, it's only been in the last hundred years that those with 'the gift' have been accepted by the public in general. Those who practice the warrior arts have never had the same problems as those of us who practice other disciplines, and we in the East haven't faced nearly as much persecution as those in the West, we're used to keeping things in the proverbial family. Finally, these techniques work primarily by boosting the body's natural healing abilities, which is absolutely worthless when it's the body that's causing the problem. There's nothing we can do with autoimmune disorders, for example, and in the case of cancer..."

"What's wrong?"

"Dammit, why didn't I think of that before?" Toufuu got up and moved as quickly as he could through the crowded cafeteria.

Dr. Mizuno struggled to keep up with the man. "Think of what?" As soon as he reached the corridor, he began to run. "Think of what?"

- + - + -

The two Sailor Senshi were eating lunch (technically, one was eating lunch, and the other's lunch was entirely liquid) when Doctor Ono Toufuu burst into their room.

"Ono-sensei, what's wrong?"

"Minako, drop your transformation!"

"What?"

"Drop it now!"

- + - + -

Ranma held the final pose for a few seconds as the last few chords faded away. After she regained her breath, she beamed a big smile at her friends as their audience of one began to applaud.

"I'm not sure how your fans will react to it," Takayama Minami said as she stood, "But whatever they think, I'm sure it'll knock their socks off."

"Does this mean you won't be needing our services anymore, Takeda-san?" The violinist Asami Yuuka asked impishly. Beside her, the pianist Takagi Nao rolled her eyes towards the ceiling.

"Don't worry. As long as you're willing, you'll always have a part to play here," Ranma reassured the younger woman. "Just don't let it interfere with your own careers. You'll do me no favors if you turn down your big break when it comes." She looked around the stage. "You guys worked through lunch, so how about I treat you all to an early dinner?"

As the crowd began cheer, Ranma felt her cell phone vibrate. "Hi, this is Takeda Megumi!"

On the other end of the phone, Ono Toufuu said, _"Megumi-san, I need to remind you not to teleport."_

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Doc. I'm taking it easy. I'm not even roof hopping everywhere."

There was a pause on the other end. _"That's not why I called. I need you to come back to the hospital, right now."_

The cheering on stage died when they saw their friend stiffen and pale. "What's wrong?"

"_It's Minako-chan..."_

- + - + -

Author's Notes: Asami Yuuka and Takagi Nao are two of the actresses that played Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus in the Sailor Moon musicals. When Ranma's signature music style turned out to be rather heavy on the violin and piano, I couldn't resist the temptation. ^_^

I'm a little over 20,500 words right now, and there's only 12 days left of the challenge. I seem to write at about 600 words an hour when there's interesting distractions around (like the internet, Wikipedia, tvtropes, or my computer) and with effectively three hours a day to write on workdays, and the busiest week in retail, plus Thanksgiving, coming up, it's going to be tough to make it. Either that, or I need to lower my standards a bit more.


	37. Chapter 37

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: Kyon-kun... denwa.

Author's Notes: Well, it seems in open office (or at least in my installation) you have to select a language in order for spell check to work. I still haven't figured out how to get English to be my default language, but at least when I start a new chapter, I don't have to worry about misspelling too many words. ^_^ There's still grammar, homonyms, and other issues to worry about, though.

Chapter 37 – Things Fall Apart

In the passenger seat of the car, Ranma glared through the windshield at the early rush-hour traffic. _'Dammit, I could run faster than this. Will you get out of my way, you...'_

Behind the wheel, Takayama Minami looked at her dour friend. "I know you'd feel better, but you'd just clutter up the road if you did."

Ranma blinked at the older woman. "Did what?"

"Developed telekinesis and used it to blast traffic out of the way. I know I've wished for that on occasion, but the only thing you'd accomplish would be to back up traffic even more." She sighed when the man turned back to glare at the slow moving traffic in front of them. "Look, we're pretty close to the hospital, and I've seen how you can travel cross country. Why don't you get out and roof hop?"

"Because Dr. Toufuu wouldn't tell me what was wrong, and I want as much ki available as possible to help Minako-chan. That fight with Kiima did a pretty good job wiping out my reserves, and I'm not gonna drain what I have left just to get there a few minutes faster..." _'I just wish I knew who to beat up to make Minako-chan better. I hate being this helpless.'_

Minami spared another glance at the man beside her. "Just remember that it isn't the doctor's fault. It's the fault of whoever hurt the girl." She shivered when she saw the air above the man shimmer, as if he was radiating tremendous heat.

"It wasn't Akane's fault either. Kiima didn't have the guts to attack me _or _Minako-chan directly. Instead she brainwashed Akane to do her dirty work for her." Ranma's hands clenched into fists. "I should've torn that bitch apart..."

"That wouldn't have helped Minako-san, Kappei-kun."

"True, but it would mean that Kiima would never again brainwash someone to try and kill their loved ones."

- + - + -

Ono Toufuu waited nervously at Juuban General's main entrance for Ranma to show up. The man was _not_ looking forward to this, and the fact that he felt personally responsible for Minako's condition made it even worse. His wife Kasumi had told him that Ranma had anger problems thanks to the past life. He just hoped that the younger man had mastered himself enough not to hurt him too severely.

Toufuu spotted Ranma's furious aura long before the car he was in approached the hospital. He quickly ran through what Ranma's first words would likely be, and what the proper response should be. He swallowed nervously as Ranma exited the vehicle, the younger man locking gazes with the doctor as he stamped past him. Toufuu hurried to keep pace.

Ranma was silent until they were both alone in the elevator. "Dammit, Doc!" Ranma hissed. "What the hell happened? When I left, Minako-chan was fine!"

"I must say, Ranma," Toufuu said carefully, "You have a peculiar definition of fine."

"You know what I meant, Doc. Her transformation..."

"She has terminal brain cancer, Ranma."

"I know that!"

"And do you remember why my techniques were worthless to help her?"

Toufuu felt the moment Ranma's anger vanished. "What exactly happened, doc?" Ranma asked, his shoulders slumping.

"I was discussing with Dr. Mizuno the difference in the practice of medicine between regular people, and those with 'the gift.' We have no treatment for cancer because cancer is caused when the body's ability to repair itself goes awry. Boosting the body's healing abilities not only doesn't cure cancer, it actually accelerates the progress of the disease. Nearly every method of magical healing does the same thing, and I had no reason to believe that the phenomenal healing abilities of Minako's transformation wouldn't do likewise."

Ranma's complexion took a greenish cast as they stepped out of the elevator. "You mean every time she transformed, she was dying quicker?" He sighed. "She'll never agree to stop. What we're doing is too important."

"True. But there's more. After she transformed back, she wasn't able to breathe, so we had to give her a tracheotomy..."

"That could cost her her voice, doc..."

"I know, but even with an oxygen mask..." Dr. Ono saw that they had reached the girls' hospital room. He stopped his younger friend before Ranma could enter the door. "Kappei... Minako suffered a stroke."

"What?"

"A severe one. She... she probably won't survive the night." He caught the man under his elbow. "And you know her living will won't permit us to take any of the steps..."

Ranma straightened up, though to Toufuu's eyes, the man seemed as lifeless as the girl lying in the hospital room. Ranma slowly opened the door, and stepped into the room...

- + - + -

The first thing Ranma noticed was the slow, quiet beeps coming from the equipment beside Minako's bed. His gaze moved on to the girl's neck, where bandages mercifully concealed the tube inserted into her throat. It was Minako's face that caused Toufuu to steady him a second time. The side closest to Ranma didn't look right. It held none of the animation he was used to seeing when she was awake, nor the peacefulness that graced her expression when she was asleep. Instead, it just hung there, as if someone had carelessly dropped some flesh across her skull.

Sailor Jupiter wasn't in her bed. She had pulled a chair close to Minako's bed, and just huddled there miserably, hugging her knees to her chest, which Ranma knew had to be painful for the girl, given her injuries. Jupiter's red eyes turned towards the door, and she stammered, "I... I called the others. They... I..." The young girl burst out of her chair, and hugged Ranma fiercely, sobbing into his chest. "It's not fair! Why... why..."

Doctor Ono Toufuu quietly closed the door behind him as he left.

- + - + -

Mizuno Ami walked with her friends towards her mother's place of work, still unable to believe how her world had been turned upside down. Last night, they had stayed up far too late, preparing Usagi-chan's costume for a contest she wouldn't be entering now. That morning, they'd gotten up far too early to plan a strategy for confronting one of Ranma-sensei's old enemies. Now, one of her few friends lay dying, and she didn't want to think about what that would do to Minako's fiance.

The last of Ami's few friends sat on a bench in front of the hospital, waiting for them. Hino Rei somberly watched them approach. The girl said nothing as she stood and fell into step beside them. Ami looked at miko out of the corner of her eye, and wondered if she wore the same expressionless mask that Osaka Naru and Rei wore, or whether she looked like Tsukino Usagi, eyes red and cheeks streaked with tears.

Ami's mother was waiting for them at the entrance. The woman didn't say anything, just draped her arm across Ami's shoulders, and led them all into the hospital, and eventually to Minako-chan's room. The young genius was disappointed when her mother didn't follow them in.

Ranma and Sailor Jupiter sat on either side of Minako-chan. At first, Ami almost didn't recognize the young idol singer. The side of her face closest to Sailor Jupiter was almost the face of a stranger. Ami had to look twice just to make sure it was her friend. Ranma also looked strange. He looked _old,_ sitting beside the girl, holding her hand. There was another adult in the room with them, who Ami decided had to be Dr. Ono Toufuu, who sat in one corner of the room, watching.

Usagi made her way around the bed, pulled up a chair, and put her arm around Ranma. Her other hand joined his around Minako's. The black haired didn't say a word, simply leaning against the older man, her tear streaked face staring at Minako's.

- + - + -

Col. Richard Anderson wearily hung up his phone. "Captain, something's come up. Why don't you go get something to eat?"

Captain Amanda Tapping looked up from her work, puzzled. "Sir? I'm fine."

"Don't make me make it an order."

The blonde Air Force officer looked confused. "Okay, sir..." The woman uncertainly got up out of her chair, and, with a final look back, left the room.

The older man waited for a few minutes before making his way to another room, and knocked twice.

The mage Christopher Judge answered the door. "So you've reconsidered my offer after all, Colonel?"

Col. Anderson nodded. "I just got word that the situation's completely changed. If we're going to do this, best to do it now." As the two walked quickly towards the room used to imprison Kiima, Richard added, "Of course, it's possible that she might cooperate..."

"But unlikely. The Phoenix people consider themselves to be above 'ordinary mortals.' I doubt she'll cooperate willingly."

The pair arrived at their destination. "We'll see." He nodded to the two guards, one of whom unlocked and opened Kiima's room.

Unlike the last time he'd visited her, the winged woman was completely cognizant, but in a great deal of pain. "Can you understand me?" The colonel asked in English, the huge black man standing silently behind him.

"Yes," Kiima growled in the same language. "I don't know whether to thank you or curse you for taking me off those painkillers," Kiima spat out. She glanced at Judge. "But you'll get nothing from me. I am Saffron's right hand. When we've wrested what's rightly ours..."

"You know, I don't know how many kinds of stupid you are," Col. Anderson said, interrupting her rant.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, seriously. Do you even know what you're dealing with?"

"A punk kid who got lucky, and stole the Keys of Ascension from us."

"You're wrong, lady. You're dealing with an Ancient."

Kiima laughed. "You can't be serious. If they even existed, the Ancients died out thousands of years ago. How the hell can Saotome, or Takeda, or whatever that insolent gnat is calling himself these days, be an Ancient?"

"Oh, they existed, all right. After all, they created Saffron and the keys, didn't they?"

Kiima glared at the American colonel. "Sacrilege!"

The man shrugged. "I've seen enough of what little remains of the Ancients over the years to recognize their work when I see it. They achieved heights of magic and technology that far exceeds anything we have today. It's funny, I always assumed that the old myths about them were exaggerated. They were called heroes, giants, demigods, or even outright deities, because of their knowledge and technology, not because they actually were as far above those gifted with magic, as they are above us.

"It's only been a month since I first met Megumi Takeda, and it's been like watching a baby god take her first steps. Did you know she used to carry those Keys of yours around wherever she went? They never left her side. When I found out she was actually_ thinking_ of returning them to you..."

He smirked at the expression on Kiima's face. "I think you can pretty much forget that ever happening now. I'm told the girl won't survive the night. As I was saying, when she told me she was thinking of returning those things, I couldn't believe it. Why would _anyone_ surrender such power? Then I realized why. She's outgrown them. Two of the most powerful magical weapons in existence, and they're nothing but _toys_ to her."

Anderson laughed when he saw the Phoenix warrior pale. "You've taken away the girl she loves. You've manipulated someone _else_ she cares dearly about. And you did so at a time where she's struggling against the enemy that _destroyed_ the Ancients."

He leaned forward, and whispered, "If it wasn't for regulations, I'd be the first to join her in wiping your people off the face of the Earth. As it is, I'm seriously considering pulling those two soldiers off guarding you, because I'm not entirely sure she'll care about innocent bystanders when she comes for _you._

"Now, she might be inclined to be a little less... shall we say... bloodthirsty if you were a little more willing to cooperate. Say, like, telling us where we can get an impression egg, so that we can cure Mrs. Akane Tendo?"

- + - + -

Ranma was holding Minako's hand when he felt Minako's ki flicker, like a candle that was burning out. It had been doing that for hours. And through it all, Tsukino Usagi had been there, holding the hand that held Minako's, a surprisingly comforting presence that was all that was keeping him from losing it completely.

The slow beep of the machine beside Minako's bed stopped, to be replaced by a continuous whine that froze his heart. Beside him, Usagi stiffened, whispering, "No."

She turned to look at Dr. Ono. "Can't you..." The man shook his head. Crying, she turned back to the still figure lying in the bed, crying out, "MINAKO-CHAN!"

A spark of light emerged from one of the tears running down her face. At the heart of the light was a tiny crystal. Within seconds, a blinding light filled the room. And on the bed, a young idol singer opened her eyes. When Minako turned to meet Ranma's stunned eyes, all Ranma could think was, _'My god, what have we done?'_

- + - + -

Hibiki Ryouga smiled when he saw the familiar sign of Ono's Chiropractics, Acupuncture, and Moxibustion. "Hey, we're here," he said as he helped the unfortunate soul down from his back, before ringing the bell. He knew it was late, but he was sure the doctor would be willing to help, despite the hour.

Before he could ring the bell, the ground began to tremble beneath his feet. He grabbed the door's frame, shielding the man he'd saved from any potential falling debris. Inside the clinic, he could hear things breaking as they fell off shelves or toppled over. Seconds later, the quake died away, leaving several million startled people awake to clean up the mess.

- + - + -

A dozen kilometers to the southeast, a homeless man stood frozen in place, long after the tremors died. He smiled as he felt the strange energy clear his mind. For the first time in weeks, he knew what he had to do.

- + - + -

"What is that?" Nephrite asked as he watched bolts of lightning emerge from the cavern walls to strike the building that housed Metaria. "What's happening?"

Beside him, Beryl smiled. "The Ginzuishou. It's been found! Queen Metaria is awakening." She looked at her three generals. "Gather my subjects. It's time to return to the fight!"

- + - + -

Deep in Beryl's dungeon, the prisoner couldn't see the energy that poured into Metaria. He couldn't hear the jubilant shouts that came from the creatures that had once been his people. Nor could he wrap his hands around the hated witch that had tormented him. But despite his captivity, the prisoner smiled.

"Yes, Queen Metaria," Marlowe whispered in the darkness. "Thy will be done."

- + - + -

Author's Notes: After thirty-seven chapters, and about 92,000 words, I've _finally_ reached this point, where PGSM takes a _very_ different turn from the manga and anime versions. And I've yet to reach the halfway point of the NaNoWriMo challenge. Let's see if I can actually get any work done over the weekend...


	38. Chapter 38

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: Kyon-kun... denwa. (Argh!)

Author's Notes: I cannot thank the folks ad fukufics dot com, and especially grammar and spelling proof reader extraordinaire, J. St. C. Patrick, enough for giving these chapters the once over before I post them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Chapter Thirty-Eight – Awakening the Past

The Moon Palace was a beautiful structure. Its polished white marble, imported from the Earth, almost glowed from the light from the blue-white sphere that hung in a sea of a million stars. To the five girls who had rarely left a major metropolitan area, it was the stars, far more numerous than the handful that could be seen from home, that really hit home that they weren't in Tokyo anymore.

And then there was their clothing. Of them all, only Kino Makoto was unchanged, in her guise as Sailor Jupiter. The rest were dressed in gowns. Hino Rei's was the most conservative, a red floor length dress with a high neckline and long, loose sleeves. Mizuno Ami's pale blue dress had a lower neckline and tighter sleeves, and silver chains emphasized the bodice of her dress. Aino Minako's light yellow dress was similar to Ami's, though it was sleeveless, and the chains were golden.

Finally, at the top of the dais of the throne room, stood Tsukino Usagi. Her white dress was most similar Rei's, though it was sleeveless like Minako's. The girl's hair was out of her usual twin ponytails, and a golden crescent peeked out from behind her bangs.

Minako was the first to kneel, her head bowing as she placed her hand over her heart. "Princess..." Ami quickly followed her example.

Makoto looked wryly at Rei before kneeling, saying, "We should show our respect."

"I think I remember being more polite in the past," Rei admitted, before joining the others.

The Moon Princess looked down at her guardians, and asked, "Minako-chan? Ami-chan? Rei-chan? Mako-chan? What are you doing?"

The four girls looked at each other in confusion. Finally, Minako asked, "Usagi-chan?"

The Princess nodded.

"You don't remember anything?"

Usagi shook her head.

Minako sighed as she stood up. She slowly climbed up the few steps and placed her hands on her princess' shoulders. "Usagi-chan, it's _very_ important for you to remember. Please, try to remember. We need to know what happened when the Moon Kingdom was destroyed."

"I..."

Minako smiled. "You don't want to remember, do you?"

Usagi once again shook her head, frowning.

"Please try."

Usagi closed her eyes, unconsciously chewing on her lower lip. "I guess it began when I first met Prince Endymion of the Earth Kingdom, and we fell in love. Love between the people of the Earth and the people of the Moon was forbidden, for it was said that such a love would bring calamity to both kingdoms..."

Sailor Jupiter frowned. "I don't understand, how could love bring disaster to both kingdoms?"

Usagi shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe because the people of the Earth were jealous of us. It was Beryl, a woman of the Earth, who..."

"Liar," an angry male voice declared.

"Excuse me?"

A tall, regal looking man stormed into the throne room. His long hair was tied into a topknot. His black uniform stood out from the white marble of the palace, though the white cloak he wore softened his outline a bit. The princely man glared at Usagi, and growled, "I said you're a liar, you little bitch! It's..." The man staggered, his eyes going wide. "What... NO! DON'T! Don't make me..."

The man screamed as his body blurred. His hair lightened to auburn, his body shrunk and developed feminine curves, and her clothing changed from a severe military uniform into an attractive green dress with an intricately laced bodice that enhanced the woman's already impressive cleavage. "That is enough of that, Kunzite," Ranma said firmly. "You're not helping the situation any."

Ranma's blue eyes, free of the contacts she normally wore when appearing as Takeda Megumi, locked onto Minako's. Seconds later, she had swept up the girl in a fierce embrace, spinning her around while kissing her deeply. "Sorry about going girl, Minako-chan, but I've found it's the easiest way shut him up. I don't think he knows how to deal with it." She held the girl out at arms length, so Ranma could take a good look at her. "Please don't do that to me again, Minako. I don't think I could stand it."

Minako smiled nervously. "Hai."

Ranma turned to Usagi, who began to tremble. The older woman gently held the girl's shoulders, and said, "Kunzite was right about one thing, Usagi-chan. The Princess _is_ lying to us." As the rest of the girls frowned at her, Ranma added, "You don't have to take that from her, Usagi-chan. She ruined her life and countless others. Don't let her ruin yours as well."

When Usagi looked uncertainly at Ranma, she said, "You are not the Princess, Usagi-chan. I am not Kunzite. We are the reincarnations of those who failed the people of the Earth and the Moon so utterly. We are burdened with their memories, their powers, and the mess they made, and I'll be damned if we surrender our lives to those people as well. You are one of the most wonderful people I know, Usagi-chan, and I don't want to see you sacrifice your life so that spoiled little girl can get a second chance at screwing up her life, and the lives of everyone on this planet.

"We need to know the secret of the Ginzuishou, Usagi-chan. The Princess knows what it is. Make her tell us what it is. I know you can do it."

- + - + -

Ranma watched the subtle play of expression across Usagi's face, as the girl wrestled with the remnants of that brat from the past life, confident that Usagi was strong enough to wring the truth from the spoiled Princess Serenity. Ranma knew now that Metaria was able to draw energy from the Ginzuishou, and could do so no matter where it was on the surface of the planet. What Ranma needed to know was _why._

"It started thousands of years before the fall of the Silver Millennium," Usagi said slowly, her eyes closed, in a voice that was not quite her own. "The Earth wasn't at peace then. Humanity warred with ourselves far more frequently than the demons and monsters that preyed upon us. To gain any advantage we could get, whether it was enemies from without or within, wizards and scientists created artifacts, weapons, and even beings of awesome power. Frequently, we would try to tame the wilderness, to spread the presence of human beings to the furthest reach of the planet, even in the most inhospitable reaches of our world.

"Each of those attempts ended in failure. It is said that Nature abhors a vacuum, but what it really desires is equilibrium. If you create a powerful weapon of fire, somewhere else in the world a being of ice, of equal power, would emerge. Which meant that every time we created powerful magics to bring life to lifeless regions, to nurture and preserve life where it is threatened, we created monsters that devastated life with equal vigor.

"In time, we realized that we had to balance things out. Most things are easy to balance. If we created a weapon of fire, we had to balance it out with a weapon of ice. But how do you balance out life with death?

"It was the ancestor of the Serenity that came up with the solution. She created a pair of artifacts, each the equal yet opposite of the other: one to preserve life, and one to destroy it; One for good, the other for evil. But rather than create powerful artifacts, these were practically powerless, but would gain power over time as they were fed the life-force of others. The first Serenity kept the first for herself, allowing the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou to feed off her, so that its power would grow. She also created four guardians to protect her and the Crystal, for the custodian of the Ginzuishou would be powerless as it drained away most of her life-force.

"She entrusted the custodian of the Ginzuishou's opposite, Metaria, to the only one she could trust not to use the power, or feed Metaria: her lover. To prevent Metaria from leeching power from the Ginzuishou, the two separated from each other for the rest of their lives, knowing that if they were ever reunited, Metaria would awaken and bring calamity against all those near her.

"For hundreds of years, the Serenity nurtured the Ginzuishou, and the Crystal's power grew. As the generations passed, the Ginzuishou was given to the heir to wield, so that Queen Serenity would have the power necessary to run her growing kingdom. Defended and preserved by the Crystal's power, Serenity's kingdom became a paragon of peace and prosperity. But as the Ginzuishou's power grew, so did Metaria's ability to leech power from it. Eventually, to separate the two, Serenity left the Earth behind, and the Moon Kingdom was born.

"On the Earth, the descendants of the first Serenity's lover eventually became the Endymion, whose sworn duty was to keep the Ginzuishou and Metaria apart. In time, the people of the Earth were united under the Endymion, and the Earth Kingdom was born. It was a time of prosperity and peace for both kingdoms. Queen Serenity and King Endymion only met once a year, at a space station midway between the Moon Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom, to discuss issues common to all of Humanity."

Usagi's expression returned to normal. She opened her eyes and looked at the others. "It was the during one of those meetings that Prince Endymion met Princess Serenity, and they fell instantly in love. They tried to deny their feelings, but it didn't take long before Princess Serenity was sneaking down to the Earth to visit her love, intoxicated by his presence, and visiting a world forbidden over many generations. And each time she came to the Earth..."

"Metaria gained more power," Mizuno Ami finished.

"Hai," Ranma said. "And on the Earth, the situation pretty much mirrored the Moon. King Endymion was responsible for running the kingdom, so the responsibility of isolating Metaria fell to Prince Endymion and his guardians. And with the prince distracted by the princess, and their guardians distracted trying to keep the two apart, a woman named Beryl, who had a crush on Prince Endymion, gained access to Metaria, which tempted her with the power to crush her perceived rival. Monsters once again plagued the Earth, and Beryl planted rumors that the Moon Kingdom was to blame.

"Eventually, the people of the Earth, under the influence of Beryl and Metaria, attacked the Moon Kingdom. Prince Endymion sided with the Moon Kingdom, and when the Earth invaded, he was killed..."

"When the Princess saw her lover cut down before her eyes," Usagi said quietly, "She wanted revenge. Revenge against the people of the Earth. And because Metaria was as tied as closely to the Serenity as the Ginzuishou is, Metaria granted her her heart's desire." Usagi looked down, a tear running down her cheek.

"And because it was Beryl blamed Serenity for Endymion's death," Ranma added in disgust, "_she_ wanted revenge against the people of the Moon, and Metaria granted her _her _desire as well. And the human race was reduced to a handful of survivors on the Earth, and the splendor and might of the Silver Millennium passed into myth."

- + - + -

"So... what do we do now?" Sailor Jupiter asked quietly.

"I think the first thing we should do is stop doing this," Mizuno Ami said quietly.

Usagi's head snapped up. "What do you mean, Ami-chan?"

"This isn't real, right? It's a construct of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, right?"

"I guess..."

"Then doesn't it mean that the Crystal is active, which means that Metaria is getting power from it?"

"Oh, no! You're right..." Usagi looked around at the replica of the Moon Palace. "Ano... how do I turn it off?"

- + - + -

Dr. Ono Toufuu sighed in relief when the light died, and with it the earthquake that had badly shaken the hospital._ 'That had to have been a five at least. If I'd known that would happen...'_ He glanced at Minako's heart monitor, which displayed the strong heartbeat of a healthy young girl. _'At least it worked.'_ Around him, Ranma and his girls looked around in confusion.

"Minako-chan!" Both Ranma and Usagi cried out in unison, Ranma sweeping up the girl into his embrace. Usagi took the first opportunity she could find to squeeze in and hug Minako as well, including the older man in her embrace.

"Thank you, Usagi-chan!" Minako said, before the girl blinked and reached up to her throat. "Hey, it's gone!" She smiled impishly at Ranma, took a deep breath, and sang, _"o/` I love you, baby baby, switch off the light. Baby baby, kiss me. o/`"_ Her eyes went wide when she was interrupted by Ranma's kiss, which caused the other girls to giggle.

Ami turned from the commotion on the bed, to Osaka Naru, who still held the side rail of the other bed firmly. "Naru-chan? Are you alright?" Naru shook her head. "What's wrong?" The sole ordinary human being in the room gave the young genius a confused look.

"Hey! My ribs are alright!" Sailor Jupiter said, poking at her torso with increasing force. She transformed back into Kino Makoto. Soon, the girls became aware of similar cries of joy coming from adjoining rooms. It sounded as if the entire hospital was celebrating a miracle.

- + - + -

"I'm going to KILL HER!" Tendo Akane screamed as she struggled with the shackles that held her to the bed. "I'm going to rip off her wings, and BEAT HER TO DEATH WITH THEM. Damn you, Kiima! Because of you, I've seen HELL!" She blinked before adding meekly, "No offense, anata."

Tendo Ken smiled in relief. "None taken, dear."

"Oh my," Ono Kasumi said, equally relieved. "I guess my little sister is back to normal."

- + - + -

"Okay, thank you for the information," Col. Richard Anderson said into the phone. "As soon as you learn anything more, let me know." He hung up.

"So, Colonel," the parolee Claudia Black said. "Do you know what the hell that was?"

"And how wide spread the damage was?" The mage Christian Judge added.

"Believe it or not, that wasn't Ms. Takeda reacting to the death of Ms. Aino." The colonel informed the rest of his staff. "There was some kind of bizarre phenomenon at the hospital. While the accompanying earthquake did a bit of minor damage, there are no reports of serious injury so far, and from all reports, everyone at the hospital was miraculously cured, including the kid and Mrs. Tendo. According to the guards posted at her room, Mrs. Tendo's threats against Kiima sound quite painful."

Captain Amanda Tapping looked up from her laptop. "Colonel, I just got the preliminary seismic data. That earthquake was a 5.2, and the estimated epicenter easily includes Juuban General Hospital." She frowned. "Sir, that much power is enough to power a small city for a year, and it was just a _byproduct_ of whatever happened."

The colonel looked at his executive officer. "And whatever it was, it was probably just to heal _one_ person. The fact that others were healed was probably _also_ an unintended byproduct. I really think it's time to get that girl-scout troupe and their den mother to come in so we can see exactly what they can do." Seeing the captain opening her mouth, he added. "And yes, I know 'den mother' is the wrong term."

- + - + -

"I can't thank you enough, Mizuno-sensei, for giving Minako a place to stay until the apartment is repaired," Ranma said as they walked home from the hospital, his arm around Minako's shoulder. "No matter how tempting it might be, I think it's better for all involved if my sister stays with me." Minako stuck her tongue out at him.

"Minako-chan's more than welcome to stay with us, Takeda-san," Mizuno Saeko said. "Um..."

Ranma looked at the older woman. "Is there something wrong?"

"I'm not sure how to say this..."

"If you want to know why Megumi-sensei didn't show up, mother, she said she'd take our patrols. She didn't trust herself around fragile things like hospital buildings." Ami said.

"That wasn't it, and we're going to have a long talk about that, young lady. Takeda-san, please don't take this the wrong way, isn't she a little young?"

"I'm willing to wait a few years for her body to finish growing up." He grinned at the girl under his arm, who rolled her eyes. "She's the impatient one, and until two hours ago, she had good reason to be. She's got the reigns in this relationship. I reserve the right to keep my feet on the brakes, though."

He saw that they were approaching the apartment complex. "Well, ladies, this is where I'll have to bid you good night." He kissed Minako. "Sleep tight, Minako-chan," he called as he walked off.

"Fat chance of that," he heard her grumble right before he rounded the side of the building, out of sight. He transformed into Megumi, and teleported up to the hallway outside of their apartment.

She was surprised to see that the police tape had been taken down, and had been replaced by a sign and an envelope with her name written on it. She opened the envelope and read the note inside:

"_Ms. Takeda,_

"_Given the events of this morning, I figured you didn't need the problem of being homeless, no matter how temporary, on top of everything else. So I took the liberty of arranging for the repair of your apartment._

"_Sincerely,_

"_Colonel Richard Anderson, USAF."_

Ranma smiled at the familiar sign: "This residence has been proudly repaired by the Nerima Repair Crew. When _they_ knock it down, we'll put it back up again."

Ranma was still grinning when Mizuno Saeko and the girls reached their floor.

- + - + -

Beryl frowned as she made her way down the stairs to the dungeon. The appearance of the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou had been brief, and as a result, Metaria hadn't gained nearly as much power as Beryl had hoped. But it still represented a massive acceleration of her time schedule, and she couldn't resist the temptation to gloat.

"Well, Maaro," she said with a smile. "I cannot thank you enough for the excellent service your people have given me. You should be proud that they are so obedient."

Silence greeted her pronouncement.

Beryl stared at the door of the dark cell. "Maaro? Are you sulking now?" She laughed.

"Maaro?" She asked, taking an unconscious step forward. "Maaro?" She took several more steps.

She didn't get a chance to scream when a clawed hand darted out of the cell at her throat.

- + - + -

Ono Toufuu and Kasumi returned home and found Tendo Soun waiting for them. "Sorry we're so late, Father," Kasumi said, "But things were so chaotic at the hospital. How are the children?"

"They were a bit shook up by the earthquake, but they went right back to sleep." The man frowned. "Ryouga-kun is here, Doctor. He brought someone you should look at. The man didn't look well at all. He's in examining room number one."

"Thank you, Father. You'll be glad to know that Akane is fine, and while it was a very close thing, Ranma-kun's fiancee lives." Toufuu shook his head when Soun scowled at the mention of Ranma's name. _'Is he ever going to get past what happened? It's been over ten years now.'_

"Father," Kasumi scolded. "Please don't blame Ranma for what happened..."

"That man is pure poison..."

"Father, it's late, and I'm well aware of your opinion of Ranma-kun. Needless to say, we don't agree..."

While Kasumi dealt with his father-in-law, Toufuu entered the examining room. "Hello, Ryouga-kun. So who do you have for me?"

"I don't know, Doc. I found him chained up in some cave somewhere. There's something seriously wrong with him..."

Toufuu frowned. "I can see that. Let's see if I can figure out..." Toufuu trailed off when something about his patient's appearance sent a chill up his spine.

"Doc? Are you just going to stand there?"

Toufuu crept cautiously towards one of the room's lights, turning it on and directing it towards the man on the examine table. The man's appearance didn't change, as if he was part of a poorly doctored photograph.

"Doc?"

"Ryouga, come with me." Toufuu walked back into his reception area, and shouted, "Kasumi!"

Kasumi opened the door to the stairs to their apartment above the clinic. "Dear, be quiet, you'll wake the children."

"Kasumi, get the children, and go to your sister's place. Code red."

The woman paled, and ran up the stairs.

"Doc, what's going on?"

"Not until Kasumi and the kids are out of here, Ryouga-kun." Toufuu waited until Kasumi and their children were out of the clinic before he made a quick call on his cellphone. "Come on... pick up! Ranma! Code red, the clinic... Ranma?" The doctor looked at his cell phone in confusion.

Ryouga frowned at Ranma's name. "That coward's back?"

"Ryouga, shut up. This isn't the time..."

With a loud crack, female-type Ranma appeared in the clinic, the Gekkaja in her hands. Brown eyes beneath auburn bangs bore into Ryouga's, and the eternally lost man swallowed nervously. Despite her altered appearance, Ryouga recognized Ranma's distinctive battle aura anywhere.

"Doc?" She asked, her eyes never leaving Ryouga's.

"Examine room number one." Ryouga sighed in relief when those eyes moved on, and the scarily intense woman left the room.

"That was Ranma?"

"Yes..." The doctor trailed off when a scantily dressed young blonde, wearing a white leotard, orange skirt, and a blue bow on her chest, burst through a door that hadn't been there before. The girl's right hand blazed with a strange power.

The girl looked around the clinic before locking eyes with Ryouga. "Doctor?" For the second time in as many minutes, Ryouga felt a sense of dread.

"It's not him," Doctor Toufuu reassured the girl.

Moments later, a confused Ranma exited the examination room. "Um, Doc? Why do you have a vampire in your clinic?"

- + - + -

Author's Notes: Whew... an extra long chapter today, since real life was kind to me, and didn't interrupt for a change. A lot of exposition in this chapter, but the nature of the Ginzuishou in Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, and that of the Sailor Senshi, is very different from the anime and manga, pretty much required it at some point in the story. This was that point. ^_^;


	39. Chapter 39

Spoiled Brats

Disclaimer: Kyon-kun... denwa. (Not again!!!)

Disclaimer #2: I was so tempted to make the chapter title a reference to Schrodinger's Cat.

Author's Notes: My apologies for releasing this chapter to fanfiction dot net so late. Not only did I forget to warn you all that between Thanksgiving and Black Friday, there would be a bit of a delay, but when I got home after work, I found out that Champions Online is allowing people to play for free this weekend! Needless to say, I've been completely absorbed in the game these last two days. ^_^ Since I've given up on making it to 50,000 words this year (due to not wanting to lose sleep or gain _too much_ weight), I'm taking the next couple days off to fool around with various superhero powers. I'll get back to writing next Tuesday. I'd like to at least finish the in-story week before I return to my other stories (which I really need to start publishing, even if it's just in a "miscellaneous works" kind of thing, since I have so many that are only one or two chapters long right now) so it looks like I've got another five or six chapters to go. Of course, my initial outline was to end the week at chapter forty, so....

Chapter Thirty-Nine – The Face of the Enemy

Aino Minako, in her guise as Sailor Venus, looked at her fiancee in confusion. "A vampire?"

"Yes," Ranma said as she produced long a silver case from nowhere and set it down on the receptionist's desk. She opened it and put the Gekkaja in its foam indentation. "There's something wrong with it, though, and I'd like to know what it is." She shut the case with a snap. "Plus we need to determine whether it's feral or not." She grabbed the case and it vanished. "We can't destroy it until we know more about it."

Minako pointed at the travel-stained man. "And who's this?"

"Oops, forgive me. Sailor Venus, this is Hibiki Ryouga, an old friend of mine. Ryouga, this is one of the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Venus." Ranma turned to Doctor Ono. "So doc, why _do_ you have a vampire in your clinic?"

"Wait a second, Ranma," Ryouga said, indignantly, pointing at the examination room, "How the hell can he be a vampire? I've been carrying him for days, and he didn't burn up in the sunlight!" He paused. "And why do you look like that?"

"Ryouga, don't believe anything that Hollywood shows about vampires. If you want a realistic depiction of them, read the novel Dracula. Most of us are pretty sure that some vampire set up the 'destroyed by sunlight' idea just to keep regular people off their guard. The truth is that vampires avoid going out when the sun's in the sky simply because they lose most of their powers during the day, so they prefer to hide, even though they're still stronger than several grown men. They avoid direct sunlight, or any bright lights, because they don't cast shadows, and the stronger the light, the easier it is to tell something's not right about them." Ranma paused. "And I look like this because Takeda Megumi is a known the devil hunter... and I like the auburn hair," she added impishly.

Minako looked into the examination room. "What's a feral vampire?"

Ranma frowned. "A feral vampire is one that doesn't have the intelligence, self control, or patience to exist among humans. If a feral isn't destroyed soon after its created, it flees into the wilderness, where it preys upon those who stumble upon it. Feral vampires are safe to hunt down and destroy. The so-called 'civilized' ones aren't."

"Because they're more dangerous?"

"No, the ferals are more dangerous. Not only are they more vicious, but they also create more ferals. If a feral isn't destroyed quickly, they eventually form packs, and then get brave enough to start attacking small, isolated communities.

"The civilized ones are smart enough not to leave a trail of corpses behind them when they feed, that will rise to create more vampires. The problem is that once their victims die, they rise anyways. But the civilized ones take steps to ensure that doesn't happen, because they don't want competition. A single civilized vampire keeps track of thousands of its former victims, and destroying it means that each and every one of them will become a vampire when they die."

Ranma grimaced. "Recently, technology has reached the point where we might be able to identify and track those fed on by vampires, and be able to _finally_ get rid of vampire scourge once and for all, but some _stupid_ webcomic artist has introduced a new strategy that they use to ensure that destroying them would do far more harm than good. They've been secreting away feral vampires, driving stakes through their hearts with an enchantment that, if it isn't renewed, destroys the stake and releases a hungry vampire. And since they're timed to be destroyed simultaneously..."

Minako shivered. "I get the idea." She looked at the vampire again. "So if it isn't a feral, does that mean we have to cure it?"

"Or at least know where it came from. It looks Caucasian, so it's probably from the West somewhere. They don't practice cremation very often, so the vampire problem is much greater in the West than it is here."

"Do vampires normally kind of feel like youma?"

"What?" Ranma joined Minako at the door, and reached out with her senses. "It does sort of feel like a youma, doesn't it? Damn... I wish I knew. As I said, we don't have nearly as many problems with vampires as the West does, so I've never hunted down a feral one." The auburn haired woman frowned. "I'd better call Col. Anderson. If there's even the possibility that Beryl's recruiting vampires, feral or otherwise, it's better if we find out sooner rather than later." Ranma looked at the younger girl. "Why don't you go to bed? You've had a very... busy day and you've got school tomorrow."

"I'm too pumped right now to sleep! I've never felt this alive before!" Seeing Ranma's expression slip, Minako sheepishly added, "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. If anyone has the right to feel alive right now, it's you." Ranma smiled at the girl. "And I suppose we could use the moral support, and the additional firepower if this is some kind of ruse."

"Thanks." Minako turned towards a completely confused Ryouga. "Is he going to be helping us?"

"I don't know." The auburn haired woman turned to the man she hadn't seen in over ten years. "So, how about it, Ryouga? We're facing an ancient evil that almost wiped out every living thing on the Earth thousands of years ago. You in?"

Ryouga snorted. "Of course. I'm not a coward like you, Ranma." Ryouga paused before adding, "But if Akari and the kids..."

Ranma smiled. "Of course. I feel the same way, and she can handle herself." She turned to Sailor Venus. "Go ahead and change back, if you want."

"Hai." Minako detransformed in a flash of light and bowed. "Hello, Hibiki-san. I'm Aino Minako." She looked at Ranma. "I'll go get Artemis, and then brew up some coffee and make us something to eat." She summoned the door that now connected the clinic to their extra-dimensional dojo, and stepped through.

Ryouga shook his head before turning to his old nemesis. "So, is she your adopted daughter or something?"

Ranma frowned at the man. "No... my fiancee."

Ryouga looked from the weird door to the woman he considered his only rival. "So... going the Genji Hikaru route, are we Ranma?"

- + - + -

"Colonel, you wanted to see me?"

Col. Richard Anderson yawned. "Yes, Lieutenant. I need you and your team to go to the Ono clinic in Nerima and take custody of a vampire they found there. Take whatever precautions you deem necessary, but don't destroy it unless it attacks, which is probably unlikely. Bring it here and secure it, so we can deal with it in the morning." The colonel yawned again. "Besides, it'll take some time to get a vampire expert here from the States, so some of us might as well get _some_ sleep tonight. Dismissed."

- + - + -

Minako, Artemis on her shoulder and a tray with coffee and treats in her hands, returned to the clinic and stopped in shock. Ranma had Ryouga in a headlock, and was growling, "What's my name?"

"Hikaru!"

"Wrong answer, P-Chan!"

"Don't call me that!"

It took a few seconds for Minako to find her voice. "What the hell are you two doing?"

"It's okay, Minako-chan," Dr. Toufuu said. "They're just reestablishing their friendship."

"But..."

"It's alright. The vampire hasn't moved an inch."

"But..."

"Something wrong, Minako-chan?" Ranma asked around Ryouga's hand, which was currently pushing against her face.

"Um..."

"Hey, Ryouga? Why don't we table this for another day."

"Sure."

Ranma straightened up and fixed her mussed hair. "So what's wrong, Minako-chan?"

"Do you think I should call the others?"

"Nah. Let's let them get _some_ sleep. No sense disturbing them until we actually know what's going on."

- + - + -

Tsukino Usagi quietly unlocked the door to her home. She was just sneaking past the kitchen when the light turned on, momentarily blinding her.

"Tsukino Usagi," her mother Ikuko said firmly, "Do you know what time it is?"

"Hai. I was... I was visiting a friend at the hospital, and I kinda lost track of the time."

"I see," Ikuko said more gently. She looked at her somber daughter, before gathering her into a hug. "Is everything alright, Usagi-chan?"

"I don't know, mama... I don't know anymore."

- + - + -

Hino Rei stiffened when she heard an unwelcome voice as she bowed before passing through the torii of Hikawa shrine.

"So... not only did you humiliate me by not showing up to dinner today..."

"Father..."

"But here I find you sneaking in at this hour. Where were you? What's the boy's..."

Rei's slap interrupted the older man. "How dare you! Where was I? Where was I? I was watching a _friend_ die. I was watching a friend die, just like _Mama._ Where were _you? _Where where you when we needed you?" Rei wiped furiously at her eyes. "Why weren't you there?"

"Rei, don't talk to me like that! I am your father..."

"No you're not! You're not my father. You're just the jerk that slept with Mama nine months before I was born!"

"Rei!"

"Go away and leave me alone!" She turned and ran into the shrine. She didn't see the figure that emerged from the shadows to block the man's path after her.

- + - + -

"So right before he left, Mousse suggested a possible work around for storing Saffron's weapons in stuff space," Ranma explained to Ryouga as they watched Dr. Toufuu examine the vampire the eternally lost man had unwittingly been carrying around for quite a while.

"I helped her a bit with the dimensional work, though," Artemis added. "Math isn't her strong suit."

"Yeah. Once all of this is over, I really need to go back to school. It's one thing to have enough power to use the brute force approach, but doing so just lacks style." Ranma turned to the doctor when he straightened up. "Well, Doc? Any clue on what's wrong with it yet?"

"No, Ranma. I'm completely out of my depth here. Normally, the lack of pupil reaction..."

"Doc? If its pupils _did_ react, we'd be in a lot of trouble. That would mean that not only was it conscious, but it has existed long enough to learn how to fake the normal reactions of the living."

Toufuu frowned. "I hadn't considered that..." The doorbell rang. "Now what?"

Minako stood up from where she'd been snuggling against her sempai. "I'll get it."

"Thank you, Minako-chan."

A minute later Minako returned with an American Air Force Lieutenant and three other soldiers. "Megumi-sempai, this is Lieutenant Castro. Colonel Anderson sent him to secure the vampire so we can, and I quote, 'Get some sleep until we get a vampire expert here.'"

Ranma smiled when the lieutenant saluted. "Thank you, Lieutenant," she said in English. "Your colonel thinks of everything."

The lieutenant smiled back. "That's his job, ma'am. What the colonel doesn't think of, Captain Tapping does." He signaled the other members of the team to take custody the creature. "The ETA on the vampire expert is eighteen-hundred hours."

"Thanks, Lieutenant. Please tell the colonel that I'll try meeting with Shampoo, Herb, and Kiima again tomorrow afternoon, about two o-clock. Why don't we take a second look at the vampire at... eight good for you, doc? Hibiki-san?"

- + - + -

"Rei-chan, are you alright?"

Rei, busy trying to regain control of her emotions, started at the quiet voice. "Mako-chan? What the hell are you doing here?" She winced at her tone. "Sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

Kino Makoto sat down on the bench beside her friend. "I was worried about you. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but..."

"But what?"

"Don't you think you were a little hard on him? I mean, he is your father..."

"I've ditched our monthly 'family dinner' before. Since he was upset that I didn't show today, he probably invited others so he can show of what a _'devoted family man'_ he is. He only thinks about me when it's convenient to his career. Just like he did with Mama." Makoto put her arm around her friend. "I don't need him anymore. You guys are all the family I need. Hell, if I ever need a father, I'm sure Ranma'll be a better one than my old man would be any day."

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Rei-chan."

"Why?"

"Well, if Ranma-sensei is your father, that'll make Minako-chan your mother, and _that_ just ain't right."

- + - + -

Deep beneath the Earth, three men ran for their lives. "Hurry, this way," Nephrite said, leading the other two into a chamber. He briefly considered leaving the two behind, but they were like _brothers _to him. _'Maybe Endymion-sama will be able to repair the damage Beryl had done to them.'_ "Zoisite, can you seal off the passage?"

"Sure." Zoisite unleashed a huge sphere of energy into the ceiling of the corridor. In a flurry of debris and dust, the passage collapsed, sealing them in. Then the man began to giggle. "Rocks go 'boom!'"

_'Okay, I think it's safe to assume that he wasn't pretending to be mad, just to throw off Beryl.'_

Nephrite turned to look at Jadeite, who was once again curled up at in ball, sobbing, "Beryl-sama. Beryl-sama."

Nephrite grabbed the collar of the younger man's uniform and pulled him upright. "Jadeite, snap out of it! We've got one chance to escape, and that's if you can get the bridge to Tokyo working!"

"What's the point? Without Beryl-sama..." Nephrite's slap cut the blond's blubbering off.

"So you're just going to abandon us, are you? Just let that monster kill you, or maybe turn you into one of his kind?" Nephrite shoved him away in disgust when all he did was look away.

"Don't you want avenge Beryl, Jadeite?" Zoisite asked. Nephrite looked sharply at the white haired man. "We can't do that here. The only thing we'll do is add to Marlowe's power. Once we've escaped, we can get Kunzite's and Endymion's help, and destroy Marlowe."

"You're right, Zoisite."

"And when we're done, we can all go out and get ice cream with sprinkles to celebrate!" The man gushed girlishly.

_'Oh, god... we're all going to die.'_

- + - + -

On the other side of the rockfall, one of the swirls of dust coalesced to become the vampire Marlowe. He snarled at the sealed corridor, then turned to his former clansmen. "Well, what are you standing around there for? Start digging!" We watched the sad creatures that had once been proud members of his clan begin to remove the rubble. Once he was sure they would follow his orders, he left to attend to other business.

The creature stalked down the dungeons, to the very cell that had once been his. "Are you still alive in there, witch?" He walked up to the bars and looked inside. "Ah, good. I'll send some food down for you. I wouldn't want you to expire until my people find some prey. The only thing to eat around here besides you is human food, and that just doesn't do anything for my kind."

Getting no reply from the woman, Marlowe laughed. "What, no comeback, Barrel? What do you think of that name, by the way? Or how about Barry? You look like a Barry." He laughed again. "I really must thank you, Barry. My kind have long suffered under the thumb of humans. Look at what we have to do survive. We've become accountants! Keeping track of every human we've fed upon, to make sure we don't become a 'nuisance' to the humans. But now, with Queen Metaria's power, we will once again become the predators we were meant to be! And it's all thanks to you, Barry."

He stepped away from the cell, adding, "Do try to regain your strength, Barry. It's only been a few hours, and I'm already feeling a little peckish again. Sleep tight."

- + - + -

"I don't know about you," Minako said when she and Ranma returned to their apartment. "But I'm still not tired." She glanced at the clock. "And I don't feel like wasting the next three hours taking a nap before I have to get ready for school." She put her arms around the older woman. "Can you think of any way to pass the time?"

"Well, we can get a little training in," Ranma said, grinning at the brunette's pout.

"Ranma, don't you think it's time we..." She was interrupted by the lobby buzzer. "NO! Ranma, don't answer that!"

"Minako, nobody visits at this time of night unless it's an emergency." She smirked at the girl. "And if it isn't, believe me it soon will be." She turned on the lobby camera, and looked at the unfamiliar man. "Anyone you know, Minako-chan?"

"No... he looks like a drifter to me."

"Well, we'll never know what he wants if we don't ask." Ranma turned on the intercom. "Hello, this is Takeda Megumi. You better have a damn good reason for..."

"Kunzite? Thank god you're there after all."

Ranma shared a look with Minako, before turning on the intercom again. "How do you know that name?"

"Kunzite," the stranger said, "It's Zoisite. I'm afraid I did something extremely foolish trying to escape from Beryl."

- + - + -

Author's Notes: Grayson Towler is the author of Thunderstruck, and is also the author of the classic Ranma ½ fanfic Relentless.

One of his characters in Thunderstruck threatened to unleash a vampire apocolypse by collecting vampires, hiding them, and driving a stake through their hearts that could be destroyed at her command, ensuring that thousands of starving vampires would be unleashed simultaneously. And despite this, it could be argued that the woman was one of the _good _guys.

The story is a great read, with excellent and complex characters, but its now a dead webcomic because Grayson has decided to make a career of writing. I really hope he writes a novelization of Thunderstruck. I wanna know how the story ends!!!


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